This quote is in “On The Clock” which is available in all good book stores and remains a steady seller. Every word I wrote in the book is true. That last passage is what I believe to be true, then and now. Connor McDavid is inevitable, transcendent, his performances delight our eyes, shock the brain and make us unable to sit still. He’s Elvis Presley on the Ed Sullivan Show, he’s Ali in the Thrilla in Manilla, he’s the riff in Layla, he’s the final screen shot in The Searchers.

Watching McDavid’s assist on the Corey Perry goal last night was pure adrenalin. A majestic play by a majestic player. Ladies and gentlemen, a giant walks among us.

I’ve been writing words every morning on this space for over 20 years now. Sometimes it’s difficult to find anything interesting. Today is not one of those days. As I look across the names who played last night, and reflect on their recent performances, a flood of adjectives appears in a gigantic word bubble.

I can’t say it was Connor McDavid’s best game, only because ranking them would be impossible. He delivered a blistering performance across 200 feet, and finished with two goals and four points. The sequence that included his pass to Corey Perry was thrilling, and shocked the goal scorer into a look of disbelief in the aftermath. Music!

His backchecking prowess is a key to his overall game, suppressing opposition sorties by the number and troubles by the score. It’s like all of the frustration in not winning over these years has made him into the perfect player. Loose puck? He’s got it. Four-on-one rush seem impossible? Hold my beer. Three-on-two developing in the other direction? Rocket skates engaged. Just a sublime performance last night. After the game, I was exhausted from watching him! No words. None.

Should we each write a “please come back, we didn’t mean it” letter to Connor Brown, or just one of us and we all sign it? I’m astounded at his play. He’s everywhere he should be, he appears to be the best shorthanded offensive player in captivity and he has partnered with Mattias Janmark to make good things happen on the four-by-five. Darcy McLeod, Woodguy, who is an expert on four-by-fours and two-by-fours is handing out great insight on four-on-fives on Brown-Janmark via twitter (here) and it’s worth the click.

Stuart Skinner stood tall in the net last night, the Panthers buzzed early and often and I thought that game would be tied for damn sure at many points in the back half of the game. If you’re a young person with dreams of being an NHL general manager, please please please remember that small sample sizes are not reliable and goaltenders can make even very smart people look like idiots after being released or traded for 10 cents on the dollar.

Evan Bouchard had three points and led the team in five-on-five expected goals. That hammer from the point is exceptional. He may never own the Al Iafrate haircut but the man can fire that photonic cannon and get great results.

Zach Hyman is a special player. Brett Kulak’s penalty box reaction was iconic. Warren Foegele has the best facial hair on the team. Cody Ceci played well in the second and third periods. The Nuge winning Stanley is going to make me cry. Watching a man go to hell and back moves you, unless you’re heartless. What a game last night. What a series we’re witnessing.

At noon today, we’ll use all the big words to describe last night’s game. Sports 1440, noon to 2. We’ll have Bruce McCurdy from the Cult of Hockey and talk about what may be an historic comeback by these Oilers. We’ll also talk about the passing of Willie Mays, who many consider the best baseball player who ever lived. You can reach me at Lowetide on twitter, in the comments section or on the Sports 1440 text line at 1.833.401.1440 directly. Question: Would you like to see an updated 2024 Lowetide draft list later this week?