Oilers stars McDavid, Draisaitl share the secret to their on-ice magic

The New Jersey Devils are the latest team to prove that you can shut down Edmonton Oilers stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl all night long and still get burned in the end.

That's how special the reigning Hart Trophy winner and his talented linemate are - as they showed in the five-second span that ended Thursday's game.

With 21.3 seconds remaining in overtime, McDavid curled back to his blue line and took a pass from Kris Russell. As the defenseman went back to the bench for a change, McDavid streaked up the right side of the rink, using one big stride to blow the doors off Devils forward Brian Gibbons. After getting past Gibbons' waving attempt at a check, McDavid skated in on Cory Schneider, and was all alone by the time he reached the faceoff dot.

With a chance to put a move on and try to score the game-winning goal, McDavid instead slammed on the brakes at the edge of the circle. Devils defenseman John Moore, racing back desperately to break up the play, totally lost contact with the trailing Draisaitl, so McDavid stickhandled once and tapped the puck across the slot. Draisaitl popped a one-timer past Schneider, and that was that - 3-2 Oilers:

OVERTIME WINNER! #LetsGoOilers @EASportsNHL pic.twitter.com/mYAa1yEfjN

- Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 10, 2017

(Video courtesy: @EdmontonOilers Twitter)

The connection between McDavid and Draisaitl only grows the more they play together, the more that one knows what to expect from the other. That is the jump between having two players whose skills match up well and having two players who can regularly impact games.

"We're two players that have played together for a long time," McDavid said. "We're both smart players, and expect each other to kind of look for the extra pass. I definitely think he was expecting it, just like I was expecting it the other night. I did (think to shoot), but then I saw him coming, and I thought, 'Why not?'"

That's a question McDavid would ask in his mind in the fraction of a second before sending his pass to the perfect spot for his linemate to bury the winner. In order to be ready to convert it, Draisaitl has to know what might be going through McDavid's mind as he streaks up the ice - and thanks to their experience together, he does.

"He's so good at finding people, and you just have to bear down and be ready for the puck," Draisaitl said. "Maybe back in Germany (some players would attempt McDavid-like passes), but not at his speed and not at this level, certainly. He's, I think, the best player at doing that, at the speed he does it at. He's a special guy."

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

The McDavid and Draisaitl Show dazzled fans and opposing teams alike last season, when McDavid won the scoring title with 100 points and Draisaitl added 77. Now in their second season as one of the NHL's most dangerous tandems, even teammates are astonished at their on-ice artistry.

"Not many guys (can make that play)," Oilers winger Milan Lucic said. "I think of the five minutes (of 3-on-3 overtime), the two of them might have played three and a half of it, so you knew eventually the two of them were going to create something like that. You see it in practice. You see it in games. And they did it once again here."

There has to be good on-ice chemistry with teammates for McDavid to be as good as he can be, because McDavid makes plays that few, if any, players in the league even think to make. The goal in New Jersey was one such moment: how many NHL players go for the goal in that situation? Because McDavid knows Draisaitl will be there to get the pass, can handle it, and can score, he's willing to make a pass that few would attempt.

"They've been together now for almost three years in a 3-on-3 situation, and that's a very potent pair on the ice at that time because they see the ice so well," Oilers head coach Todd McLellan said.

"They complement each other's skill set with size and passing and speed and vision. The night before was even more of a spectacular play on the overtime goal (against the Islanders on Tuesday). The camaraderie between the two is evident 3-on-3, but it also exists 5-on-5."

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