It was only six-and-a-half minutes — not 37 games like last season — but the effect was pretty much the same.
When a concussion spotter pulled Connor McDavid from the game after the Oilers star drew a tripping penalty against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday night, Edmonton was not the same team. With the NHL’s leading scorer sitting in the quiet room, the Oilers failed to convert on a glorious man-advantage opportunity — they didn’t even get a shot on net for the rest of the second period — and eventually lost 2-1 in overtime.
“(Expletive removed) time in the game too, I guess,” McDavid told reporters.