There's been plenty written about the incident between Connor McDavid and Conor Garland, which resulted in the former being suspended for a career-high three games. At the time of this announcement, we said the NHL, game officials and commissioner Gary Bettman should be ashamed of themselves.
How Garland handled McDavid throughout the recent matchup between the Oilers and Canucks in Vancouver, was not acceptable. However, what was even more unacceptable was the game officials not taking any action, with at least three or four occasions when Garland should have been called for a penalty.
If said game officials had not been so horrific, then McDavid would not have reacted how he did at the end of the game. Not that we're excusing what he did in crosschecking Garland, but he was driven to that point by the incompetence of those meant to be refereeing the game.
He's baaaaaack!
Fortunately for the Oilers, they were able to win two of the three games without McDavid, and arguably should have won all three. In any event, the suspension is now over and number 97 will return on Monday night, at home to a Seattle Kraken team which has shown some signs of life recently with five wins in their past eight games.
As far as we're concerned though, it should be the Kraken who should be worried, along with the rest of the NHL. There's nothing more dangerous to deal with than an angry McDavid, who often becomes even more focused when he feels as if an injustice has been done.
In this respect, a three-game suspension which the 28-year-old feels was too much combined with not getting enough protection from game officials, is just the kind of scenario to get him to up his game. And it's not as if his 'normal' self isn't already the best player in hockey.
The Oilers are already challenging for the best record in the Western Conference as it is, having overcome a second consecutive subpar start to be the best team in hockey since late November. However, if McDavid decides to up his game, it's going to be tough for anyone to stop the team, which would in turn mean a shot at the best record in the NHL overall by season's end.
Connor McDavid is all about the team, but ....
Anyone who deals with the seven-time All-Star, is well aware that his main priority is the team, with all individual accolades paling in comparison. However, you have to think he still has an excellent chance at the likes of the Hart and Art Ross Trophies, particularly if he does step it up - no player in the game is better than him even when everyone is playing at their best.
Consider that ahead of Monday night's slate of NHL action, McDavid has 65 overall points, which is 12 off the league lead currently held by Nathan MacKinnon. However, MacKinnon has played 51 games compared to 43 by the Oilers captain, which pro-rated to the 51 contests would also have him on 77 points.
Now of course none of this matters in terms of the fact McDavid can't get those six games back this season. However, it's telling in what he could have been producing, in a season where critics will argue he's not even been at his best!
McDavid would never outright share his true feelings about what happened recently, but you can easily read between the lines to tell he has been burning inside. Speaking to the media following practice on Monday, he said:
"Yeah, (I'm) antsy to play. Excited to get going. It's been a long week you know, sitting around practising, so I'm ready to get going."
The Oilers were briefly top of the Pacific Division until the Vegas Golden Knights won on Sunday night, but the team would like to be back on the summit heading into the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. McDavid said:
"I feel like how you go into a break is important. We've got six games here to play well, to put ourselves into (a good) position at the break. Home ice is something that we've talked about a lot and we feel it's important in the playoffs, and being as high as you can in the standings is a good thing to have."
We've written before about how having home ice advantage for the playoffs doesn't stop the Oilers' ability to win the Stanley Cup Final, but it sure as heck can't hurt. And with a supremely motivated McDavid now back in the lineup, you wouldn't bet against them going on to win the Pacific Division and end up with the best record in the Western Conference, if not the NHL as a whole.