Connor McDavid’s 5 greatest goals in the 2022-23 NHL Season
Connor McDavid’s evolution into a premier sniper this season has been remarkable to watch. McDavid’s transformation into a premier sniper this season is similar to many greats in NHL history. He decided that he would be a goal-scoring machine over the summer and has continued that trend throughout the second half of the season.
The Edmonton Oilers star is pacing the league with 35 goals through Wednesday night’s games, and almost all of them would be career highlights for just about every other player. His incredible speed and lightning-quick hands make even the most complicated moves look effortless.
Here’s a look back at the absolute best goals (for now) McDavid has scored throughout what has been a phenomenal campaign.
5. McDavid makes it in Music City (Dec. 13, @ NSH).
The biggest part of McDavid’s game that makes him better than everybody else from a raw skill perspective has to be his legs. McDavid skates like an engineered hockey player, maximizing efficiency in every step to get past defenders and make goalies fearful.
You can see why this goal against Nashville Predators is so special when combined with a shot that has been elevated form great to downright elite. McDavid grabs the puck at the centre ice and speeds up in a flash. Then he gets to work.
McDavid makes a mockery of all four Predators penalty killers, and Dante Fabro is left swinging at the charging pivot. Before McDavid wrists a laser beam past Kevin Lankinen.
4. Connor moves Category 5 (Nov. 10, @ CAR).
McDavid starts this play on the perimeter in a seemingly not-so-dangerous position, but there’s no such thing as a bad spot for the league’s preeminent superstar.
The Oilers captain makes a quick cut to the inside on his world-class edges, then uses his unbelievable mitts to go to work on a Carolina team that can only pray it won’t end up on a list like this one.
McDavid unfortunately ended in defeat for Calvin De Haan (defenseman), Pyotr Kochetkov (goalie), and the four Hurricanes on the ice. goes Super SaiyanAfter ripping through defenders to reach the slot, the rookie goalie raked a tasty backhander.
Fun fact: that was Kochetkov’s first game of the season and just the fourth game of his career. While the Russian netminder now finds himself squarely in the race for the Calder Memorial Trophy, it’s hard to diagnose that beauty as anything but a “Welcome to the NHL” moment for the youngster.
3. McMagic at Mad House (Oct. 27, @ CHI).
It’s hard to believe given his prolific scoring rate, but McDavid somehow only has two hat tricks so far this season. His first goal of the year was against the Vancouver Canucks, as the Oilers provided a preview of their Pacific rivals.
McDavid’s only other hat trick this year came against the Chicago Blackhawks, themselves looking for their own franchise-level Connor To steer the ship on its right course. Chicago’s futility shouldn’t take anything away from McDavid, who puts on his Superman cape and does it all himself on a gorgeous go-ahead goal for the Oilers.
The 25-year old collects the puck from a pass at top of the near side circle, sends Jake McCabe into the phantomzone with a disrespectful one-on-1 move, and then fires a blistering shot five holes past Alex Stalock, pushing Edmonton out in front.
This wouldn’t be the only time McDavid would torch the Blackhawks on the road, as just over a month later, he went up against tank commander Jack Johnson with a head full of steamIt came out exactly how you expected.
2. Goodnight, Golden Knights (Nov. 20, vs. VGK).
You can’t put together a McDavid best-of list without showing off some overtime heroics. With all the extra space during 3-on-3 OT, McDavid goes from cheat code to downright unstoppable, and that’s no better exemplified than on this doozy against the Vegas Golden Knights.
McDavid uses time and space to get the puck in the neutral zone and takes on the Golden Knights trio.
McDavid first outmuscles Alex Pietrangelo on the outside. Then, he shrugs off Chandler Stephenson and then flips a quick snap roof-down past Adin Hills for the OT winner.
The slick “I can’t hear you” celebration makes this one all the sweeter, with the hometown Oilers crowd going nuts for their captain’s dramatic goal.
1. McDavid places Zegras in the spin-cycle (Jan. 11 @ANA)
It’s not often Trevor Zegras is on the wrong side of a highlight-reel goal, but when you’re going head-to-head with McDavid, you might just get torched.
McDavid hits Zegras like the great Danny Gallivan would have said. Savard-ian Spin-o-rama Serge Savard would be proud of Serge Savard’s cheeky moves, twisting the NHL 23 cover boy in knots.
After shaking the dodgeball starMcDavid uses his legendary backhand to quickly take out John Gibson. We assume that John Gibson is still too busy admiring McDavid’s move that earned the Oilers star their “McJesus”.
This goal wasn’t just the nicest of McDavid’s season so far, it might just be one of the best he’s ever scored in his career. But then again, there have been others. been a lot of insane goals scored by No. 97.
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