The assist was almost routine for Connor McDavid. A zone entry at full speed, a quick look to find Zach Hyman cutting to the net, and a pass that arrived precisely where Hyman’s stick was going to be. The goal gave Edmonton a 2-1 lead against Nashville, and it extended McDavid’s point streak to 20 games. The Oilers eventually lost 4-3 in overtime to Roman Josi’s winner, but the individual accomplishment stands apart from the team result. Twenty consecutive games with at least one point. Thirty-six points over that span. Numbers that echo an era when Wayne Gretzky made the impossible seem routine.
McDavid added a second assist later in the game, threading a pass through two defenders to set up Leon Draisaitl in the slot. The chemistry between those two players has been well documented over the years, but it seems to be reaching new heights this season. During the streak, McDavid and Draisaitl have combined for 67 points, creating offense at a rate that makes them the most dangerous duo in hockey.
Chasing Ghosts From Another Era
Point streaks have always been a marker of sustained excellence in hockey. They require more than talent. They demand consistency, health, and the kind of competitive fire that refuses to let even a single game pass without making an impact. Wayne Gretzky holds the all-time record at 51 games, a mark set during the 1983-84 season that seems as untouchable as his career points total. Mario Lemieux reached 46 games. Paul Coffey hit 28. These are the legends McDavid is chasing, the company he’s keeping.
The modern NHL makes such streaks extraordinarily difficult to achieve. Teams are better defensively than they were in the 1980s. Goaltending has improved dramatically. The neutral zone trap, the shot-blocking discipline of defensemen, and the sophisticated video analysis that allows coaches to game-plan against elite players all conspire to limit individual production. That McDavid has reached 20 games despite these obstacles speaks to his transcendent ability.
To put his current streak in perspective, consider the longest point streaks of the salary cap era. Before this season, the record belonged to Sidney Crosby, who reached 25 games during the 2010-11 campaign. Patrick Kane hit 26 games in 2015-16, the only player to exceed Crosby’s mark. McDavid himself had a 17-game streak earlier in his career. If he can maintain his current pace for another seven games, he’ll own the cap era record outright. Given his form, that feels less like a question of if and more like a matter of when.
The Statistical Reality of Greatness
The numbers McDavid has accumulated during his streak paint a picture of dominance. He’s averaging 1.8 points per game over the 20-game span, a figure that would translate to 147 points over a full 82-game season. His shot generation has been prolific, with 68 shots on goal creating constant pressure on opposing netminders. He’s added 42 assists, many of them primary, showcasing his vision and passing ability alongside his lethal finishing touch.
What separates McDavid from other elite scorers is his capacity to produce in multiple ways. Some players are pure goal scorers who need others to set them up. Some are playmakers who struggle to finish chances themselves. McDavid does both at historic levels. During the streak, he’s scored 14 goals while also creating chances for teammates at the highest rate in the league. Defenses cannot commit fully to taking away one aspect of his game without opening themselves up to the other.
His skating remains his most devastating weapon. McDavid’s top speed has been clocked at over 25 miles per hour, faster than anyone else in the NHL. But raw speed only tells part of the story. It’s his acceleration, his ability to go from standing still to full velocity in three strides, that truly separates him. Defenders who think they have position suddenly find themselves chasing shadows. Goalies who set up for a shot from the left circle watch helplessly as McDavid shifts to the right and changes the angle entirely.
Edmonton’s Playoff Push Depends on This Version of McDavid
The Oilers sit at 23-16-8 through 47 games, a record that has them clinging to wild card positioning in a crowded Western Conference race. Their loss to Nashville dropped them further behind the pace needed to secure home-ice advantage in the first round. Edmonton’s season, like so many before it, will ultimately be judged by playoff results rather than regular season accomplishments. But McDavid’s individual brilliance has kept a flawed roster competitive in games they might otherwise lose.
The team’s defensive issues have been well documented. Edmonton allows the eighth-most goals in the Western Conference, a problem that playoff opponents will surely exploit. Goaltending has been inconsistent, with Tristan Jarry and Stuart Skinner alternating between excellent performances and concerning lapses. The blue line lacks the shutdown defender that championship teams typically possess. These structural weaknesses make McDavid’s offensive production not just impressive but essential. Without his nightly excellence, the Oilers would be fighting for their playoff lives rather than positioning.
McDavid is 28 years old, firmly in the prime of his career. Athletes at this level typically maintain their peak for another four or five years before gradual decline sets in. He has time to add to his legacy, time to chase championships and individual records. But the current streak feels significant beyond its place in the record books. It represents McDavid operating at the absolute peak of his powers, demonstrating night after night why he’s considered the best player on the planet.
The Hart Trophy and Beyond
McDavid’s streak has significant implications for the Hart Trophy race. He entered the season as a favorite, seeking his fourth MVP award, and his recent form has only strengthened his case. Nathan MacKinnon in Colorado and Kirill Kaprizov in Minnesota remain in contention, both posting excellent numbers of their own. But McDavid’s 20-game streak, and the raw point totals it represents, give him an argument that’s difficult to counter.
The Hart Trophy voting criteria weighs a player’s value to their team, and by that standard, McDavid’s case is overwhelming. The Oilers are a playoff contender specifically because of what he provides. Remove McDavid from Edmonton’s roster, and they become one of the worst teams in the Western Conference. That dependency, while concerning from a team-building perspective, underscores just how valuable he is.
The Bottom Line
Connor McDavid’s 20-game point streak isn’t just a statistical curiosity. It’s a window into what peak performance looks like in the modern NHL. The streaks that Gretzky and Lemieux assembled came during an era of inflated scoring, when 150-point seasons were achievable for the truly elite. That McDavid is approaching their territory despite playing in a much more defensively sophisticated league speaks to his unique combination of speed, skill, and hockey sense.
The streak will end eventually. Opponents will find ways to limit him, injuries might intervene, or simple variance will catch up. But what McDavid has demonstrated over these 20 games confirms what hockey observers have known for years: we are witnessing one of the greatest players the sport has ever produced, performing at the peak of his considerable powers. The Oilers need to find ways to support him better. The Hart Trophy voters should be paying attention. And hockey fans should appreciate that they’re watching something historic unfold in real time.
Twenty games and counting. The chase continues.
