Connor McDavid glided into the Florida Panthers’ zone, avoiding a poke-check attempt from Eetu Luostarinen near the blue line. In front of the Edmonton Oilers’ captain, Dmitry Kulikov and Niko Mikkola bunched together to deny the rush near the top of the left face-off circle.
The defensive pair failed miserably.
McDavid stickhandled his way past both Kulikov and Mikkola and centered a pass to firebrand Corey Perry for what proved to be the winning tally during Tuesday’s 5-3 victory during Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla.
CONNOR MCDAVID IS POETRY IN MOTION 😮💨
(via @NHL) pic.twitter.com/RO5YnQK329
— ESPN (@espn) June 19, 2024
Oilers’ Connor McDavid Shooting For Top Postseason MVP Odds
Down 3-0 in the series one week ago, the Oilers secured consecutive wins, forcing the teams to travel more than 2,500 miles for Friday’s Game 6 in Edmonton.
If the Oilers win the next two games and complete the Cup comeback, they would become the second NHL team to rally after dropping the first three in a seven-game series. McDavid almost certainly would claim the 2024 Conn Smythe Award.
But even if the Panthers rebound and earn the franchise’s first league championship, McDavid likely would still be the betting favorite to earn the NHL’s playoffs MVP honor, according to BetOnline Sportsbook.
Of the four players listed, McDavid drew -240 odds, while Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov (+240), Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (+675) and Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk (+4000) have some ground to make up.
Good luck.
In 23 playoff outings, McDavid has compiled eight goals among 42 points, the fourth most in league history.
Here is a list of the top five scorers in a single postseason:
- Edmonton Oilers’ Wayne Gretzky (1985), 47 points
- Pittsburgh Penguins’ Mario Lemieux (1991), 44
- Oilers’ Wayne Gretzky (1983), 43
- Oilers’ Connor McDavid (2024), 42
- Los Angeles Kings’ Wayne Gretzky (1993), 40
Gretzky, by the way, registered his 47 points in just 18 games.
Still, the latest Conn Smythe Trophy appears to have already been clinched by McDavid.
Win or lose.
Stanley Cup Final: 2024 Conn Smythe Trophy Odds
Here is a look at the odds for the 2024 Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s postseason MVP, according to BetOnline Sportsbook:
| Player | 2024 Conn Smythe Trophy Odds |
Play |
|---|---|---|
| Connor McDavid | -240 |  |
| Aleksander Barkov | +240 | |
| Sergei Bobrovsky | +675 | |
| Matthew Tkachuk | +4000 | |
*Odds current at time of publication
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