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"He’s asked to do everything & always delivers": Connor McDavid hails Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for Game 5 brilliance
The Edmonton Oilers secured a 3-1 win against the Dallas Stars in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, largely thanks to Nugent-Hopkins' two power-play goals. The win gives the Oilers a 3-2 lead in the closely-contested series.
His exceptional performance drew high praise from his captain, Connor McDavid:
"He gets asked to do so much on this team, whether it's on the kill, big draws on the kill, he's got a big responsibility on the power play," McDavid said in a post-game interview. "He's asked to do everything and always delivers, and tonight was big. He was awesome."
The Oilers are now just one win away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006.
"Definitely the crowd is going to be buzzing for sure, it's going to be loud and it's going be exciting," McDavid added, looking ahead to Game 6 at home.
In Game 5, Philip Broberg scored the other goal for the Oilers on the night, while Wyatt Johnston scored the lone goal for the Stars.
Stuart Skinner stopped 19 shots for Edmonton, while Jake Oettinger made 22 saves for Dallas.
Connor McDavid talks about Game 5 win over Stars
After the win on Friday at American Airlines Center, Oilers captain Connor McDavid cautioned his team:
"It's going to take our best effort. It's four wins for a reason," McDavid said, noting the difficulty of closing out a playoff series. "It's tough to get any wins in the playoffs, let alone four against the same team, so they're a great group over there. They're going to respond and it's going to take our best effort."
Despite holding a slim lead in the series, McDavid emphasized the fluctuating nature of momentum in the playoffs:
"Everyone talks about momentum in a series. It shifts from game to game," he said. "We were able to put together two good games, and that's all it is. We put ourselves in an opportunity heading home to win a big game, but that's all. We've got a lot of work to do."
Connor McDavid was also pleased with the Oilers' power play:
"The power play was better. I said earlier that it needed to be a factor and it certainly was today. I thought we got a little bit unlucky the other night, but we found a way to contribute."
Overall, the Oilers' captain felt his team delivered one of its most complete efforts of the postseason so far:
"I thought it was as close as it's been [to 60 minutes] in a long time," McDavid said. "I thought right from start to finish, we were dialed in on every detail. There was a lot to like from today."
Game 6 shifts back to Edmonton on Sunday where the Oilers could clinch the series in front of their fans.
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