Top 3 Oilers studs from 4-1 win over Bedard and the Blackhawks

1) Connor McDavid

Some will understandably argue that Gagner deserves to be in this position. However, it’s ultimately still Connor McDavid who makes everything tick for the Oilers, as he did once again on Tuesday night.

If there was anyone guaranteed not to let the hype surrounding the game get to him, it was McDavid. He took everything in his stride and — as per usual — let his play do the talking for him.

The five-time Art Ross Trophy winner responded well to Bedard’s goal, which had given the Blackhawks the early advantage. He set himself up with a quality chance, then created another one for Zach Hyman after winning a face-off.

Then came the breakthrough, as McDavid worked his magic to set up the tying goal. He received the puck on the left wing and subsequently provided an inch-perfect pass Ryan Nugent-Hopkins just couldn’t help but convert to make it 1-1.

After this, the 26-year-old just continued to exert his influence, looking to help the Oilers finish the game off. That moment came early in the third on a power play, with an almost carbon copy of his first assist set up, and ultimately scored by Hyman to make it 4-1.

As a result, McDavid extended his points streak to 10 games. He just can’t be stopped right now, with 22 points in his last eight games; at the time of posting he is seventh in the NHL with 38 points, just one behind a tie for third place.

Of course no matter how great McDavid is, he knows better than anyone that even he needs help. When asked pregame about what’s been key to the turnaround in results, he said:

"“When you start as poorly as we did, a lot of things are wrong. I would say the penalty kills been great, goaltendings been great, the overall defensive play’s been better, giving us an overall chance to win games.”"

Moving forward, the Oilers will now aim to equal their season-high nine-game win streak from last season, when they host the Lightning on Thursday night. As for Bedard and the Blackhawks, they will next face them on Jan. 9, in Chicago.