McDavid explains why Edmonton Oilers are so good at playoff comebacks
The Edmonton Oilers don’t want the easy way out this postseason.
While the name of the game is to score more goals than your opponent, the Oilers seem like they’re spotting the opposition a lead during the playoffs. That would usually be a recipe for disaster, but instead, Edmonton has parlayed those early deficits into five-straight come-from-behind victories, breaking an NHL playoff record in the process.
Throughout the first seven playoff games of this 2025 run, the Oilers have scored the first goal of the game exactly once. Yet, they have found a way to win five of those games, outscoring opponents by a combined score of 18-6 in the third period.
So, what makes this Oilers squad so good at coming back in games? Connor McDavid tried to answer that in a media availability on Wednesday afternoon.
“I think the group is just comfortable in those situations, we’ve been there plenty of times,” McDavid said. “We’ve shown that we can come back in games and win. It’s a great quality to have.
“It’s not necessarily the best position to put yourself in, and we’ve gotta work on getting off to better starts and not putting ourselves in those positions.”
"The group is just comfortable in those situations, we've been there plenty of times… We've shown that we can come back in games & win. It's a great quality to have."
Connor McDavid on the #Oilers ability to remain poised when trailing.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/dzaYvvjJNv
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) May 7, 2025
This is an Edmonton squad that has a lot of experience fighting back from deficits. Just last season, the Oilers trailed in every single series but found a way to battle back in each one. Edmonton erased a 2-0 series deficit against the LA Kings last round.
This is the third time in the McDavid era that the Oilers have found a way to win a Game 1 and start with the series lead.
“It’s kinda new for us, we don’t usually find ourselves in this spot,” McDavid said. “I expect Vegas to raise their level, and we need to match that.
“It’d be huge to come away from here with two [wins].”
A variety of things have gone right for the Oilers to find themselves up 1-0 in their second-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights. Chief among them has been the production of various depth players helping to support the top guns like McDavid and Draisaitl.
Connor Brown is tied for the team lead in goals during the playoffs with four through seven games. McDavid says that Brown finds a way to elevate his game when the postseason rolls around.
“You saw it last year as well,” McDavid said. “He seems to really thrive in the postseason… He’s got a lot of confidence right now, as he should, and he’s been a big part of our group for the last couple of years.
“The job he does on the penalty kill, pitches in offensively every now and then, he’s a leader in our room, he’s been great.”
While you can’t complain about how the Oilers have found ways to win, it’ll be in the team’s best interest if they can find ways to start better.
Game 2 on Thursday night will present an opportunity for McDavid and the rest of the Oilers to do just that.