The Canadian Press
MONTREAL–Connor McDavid didn’t have a goal or even an assist, but the Edmonton Oiler phenom’s 100th NHL game was eventful just the same.
He led all forwards with 20:43 of ice time, topped all players with six shots on goal, and drew three penalties in the Oilers’ 1-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Leon Draisaitl’s shootout goal yesterday afternoon.
But perhaps most interesting was that McDavid got booed at Bell Centre–starting in the first period when the sell-out crowd of 21,288 got on him for what they felt was a dive when Shea Weber was called for what looked like a phantom trip in the neutral zone 8:40 into the game.
“I don’t mind it at all,” McDavid said of the booing, but the 20-year-old was more upset with being thought of as a diver.
McDavid, the first overall pick of the 2015 draft who is considered the NHL’s great star, has 108 points in his first 100 games and seems to be getting better with each game.
He is the league leader in assists (42) and points (60) after 55 games.
“He’s electrifying,” said teammate Milan Lucic. “For a lot of reasons–his speed, skill, his ability to finish and pass.
“I kind of compare him to Cristiano Ronaldo, of hockey,” Lucic added.
“It’s been fun to play with him so far.”
The win helped Edmonton (29-18-8) snap a three-game losing streak.
It also let them end a three-game road trip with a victory despite scoring only one regulation time goal.
The Canadiens (30-16-8) are 1-3-1 in their last five games.
The five-minute overtime saw Montreal goalie Al Montoya stop McDavid on a clean breakaway while Cam Talbot managed to keep out a Weber blast at the other end.
The Oilers had a 30-20 shot advantage in regulation time and outshot Montreal 32-22 overall.
Montoya has not lost in regulation in his last five appearances.
“He was unreal,” Weber said of Montoya.
“He played one of his best games of the year for us and that’s why we had a chance to win it.”
It was a scrappy game without much end-to-end action until the third period and the overtime.
“It was hard to get pucks through the defence or find guys in the slot,” noted Lucic.
“A lot of clogged up area everywhere.
“I think both teams put the emphasis on their defensive game and that’s why it was so tight,” he reasoned.
Elsewhere in the NHL, the N.Y. Rangers edged Calgary 4-3 and Washington dumped L.A. 5-0.
