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Connor McDavid's $41,000,000 linemate calls out teammates' lack of retaliation after injury to Oilers star
Connor McDavid suffered a lower body injury and left Monday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets after just 37 seconds on the ice.
The Oilers announced that he won't return for the remainder of the matchup and would travel back to Edmonton for evaluation. His absence was felt significantly, contributing to the Oilers' 6-1 loss at Nationwide Arena.
Ryan Nugent Hopkins, Connor McDavid's linemate, expressed frustration over the situation. Nugent-Hopkins, who's on an eight-year, $41 million deal with the club, pointed out that the team needs to do a better job of stepping up when a player like McDavid goes down.
"Yeah, I mean of course. he's our leader, and also the best player in the game. Of course, you're going to feel it. We got to do a better job of stepping up when a guy like that goes down, though," Hopkins told via Oilersnation's Zach.
The Edmonton Oilers (4-5-1) are sixth in the Pacific Division with nine points and 24th overall in the league. This season, Connor McDavid and Leon Draiasailt share the most points (10) for the club.
Also Read: Sports injury expert speculates Connor McDavid's injury after Oilers star exits game
Oilers suffer crushing defeat in Connor McDavid's absence
Sean Monahan scored the opening goal for the Blue Jackets at 2:18 of the first period on the powerplay. At 10:44, Adam Fantilli made it 2-0 for the home team before Cole Sillinger extended the lead to 3-0 before heading into the second period.
In the second period, Mathieu Olivier, at 7:04, made it 4-0. Mikael Pyyhtia notched up his first NHL goal on Fantilli's assist to put the Blue Jackets up 5-0 before Monahan scored his second to make it 6-0.
"It's tough, anytime you are playing without your best player, but it’s something that’s hopefully short term," Knoblauch said via NHL.com. "Obviously, our team is going to look different. Maybe that's one, two games.
"It’s your captain, your best player. It should be an opportunity for guys to step up and say, ‘Oh, I’ve got this,’" Knoblauch added. "It’s more ice time, more opportunities.”
With less than 30 seconds remaining, Mattias Ekholm scored on the powerplay to pull one back for the Edmonton Oilers, who next face the Nashville Predators on Thursday.
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