Wins all count the same in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid is impressed with the way his club has found different ways to earn them so far in the Western Conference Final.
The Oilers won Game 2 with a stout defensive effort, then took Game 3 on Sunday with an offensive explosion despite many of the underlying stats favoring the Dallas Stars.
"You have to win games different ways," McDavid said, per NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger. "You've got to have dominant nights, you've got to have nights where maybe your goalie is better than theirs, and you've got to have nights where your special teams just gets it done.
"Got to find different ways to win games in different ways, and, obviously, we did it again tonight."
McDavid scored twice Sunday to help drive Edmonton to a 6-1 victory and a 2-1 series lead. He only had one goal in his previous 10 contests but recorded 12 assists over that span.
"I think people forget he's a 60-goal scorer," linemate Zach Hyman said. "I mean, he's probably an underrated goal-scorer. He makes the right play, whether it's a pass or a goal, right?
"Best player in the world. And when he has an opportunity to shoot it, and he shoots it, there's a good chance it goes in."
McDavid's taken top spot in the postseason scoring race with 22 points in 14 games. He won the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP last year despite losing the Stanley Cup Final after he notched 42 points, the fourth-highest total in NHL history.
The Oilers will look to grab a 3-1 series lead in Game 4 on Tuesday night.
