McDavid held pointless, but 'it was cool to play' in Toronto
The result wasn't what Connor McDavid wanted, and he remains scoreless after his first game in Toronto at the Air Canada Centre, but he relished the experience, regardless.
"I grew up watching games in this building, so it was cool to play here," McDavid said after the Edmonton Oilers fell 3-2 to the Maple Leafs in overtime.
No. 97 played a lot, 22:46, and was often double-shifted, but he and his teammates couldn't crack Frederik Andersen, who had his best game in blue and white.
McDavid was beaten by Nazem Kadri in the extra frame, and thought Kadri got away with a hold before he beat Cam Talbot for the winner.
Related: Watch: Kadri fights off McDavid to score OT winner for Maple Leafs
"I have an opinion on it," McDavid said of the play, according to The Canadian Press' Jonas Siegel. "I don't really want to share it too much. The ref saw what he saw. Kadri made a good play."
Kadri was all over McDavid all night.
"He's a good player," McDavid added, according to TSN's Tony Ambrogio. "He played me hard. Good for him."
Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock thought all of McDavid's ice time caught up to him, especially after playing over eight minutes in the first period.
Babcock on McDavid playing 22:46: "You jam a guy out there every shift & three in a row, stuff like that, hard to have the same pop"
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) November 2, 2016
The rematch between the two clubs is later this month, Nov. 29, in Edmonton.