Edmonton Oilers: Connor McDavid is a full-on human cheat code

Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid is just a human cheat code. End of.

It didn’t take long for Connor McDavid to start doing Connor McDavid things after the superstar powered the Edmonton Oilers to a revenge victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.

After failing to record a point in the Oilers’ 5-3 loss to the Canucks on the Opening Night of the 2020-21 NHL Season, McDavid was front and center as Edmonton exacted the perfect revenge on their North Division rivals just one night later.

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McDavid recorded a hat trick and also tallied an assist for a four-point night, quickly reminding everyone why he is the most talented player in the NHL right now as the Oilers beat Vancouver 5-2 to pick up their first win of the new season.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also recorded two goals and Leon Draisaitl helped himself to a four-point night with four assists, putting the German star on top of the points leaderboard in the NHL with five (0 G, 5 A) to start the 2020-21 season.

However, the main act of this show was without a doubt McDavid, who completely balled out and came up big for his team when they needed him most. The reason why the 24-year-old is a generational talent is because he boasts that rare ability to be able to put his team on his shoulders and drag them to victory.

That was certainly on display on Thursday night as the center, clearly frustrated after being held without a point by the Canucks the previous night, turned it on and he was simply unstoppable on the way to recording the first hat trick of the 2020-21 NHL season.

But it was the nature of McDavid’s goals and play that really stood out and further hammered home why he will be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame one day. And, no, we don’t feel silly saying that despite the fact that the forward isn’t even 25-years-old yet.

I mean, his first goal screamed leader as, with time expiring in the first period, McDavid jumped on the loose puck from the faceoff and punched it home to give the Oilers a crucial 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

However, it was the elite pivot’s second goal that just screamed pure Connor McDavid and left Hockey Twitter in absolute awe. Picking up the puck in his own zone with the Oilers on the power play midway through the second period, McDavid gradually picked up speed before flying down the right-hand side, showing sublime skating ability to stop, cut in and then fire a laser past Thatcher Demko.

It was a vintage Connor McDavid play and there is simply nothing you can do to stop him when he’s at full tilt like that. And, although you shouldn’t be surprised, McDavid’s goal that sealed his hat trick was also highlight-reel worthy, with the ridiculously-skilled, sometimes-not-human phenom driving to the net before getting the puck from Draisaitl and deking Demko before beating the Canucks goalie on the backhand.

You may be able to stop McDavid once if everything goes your way, as it did for the Vancouver Canucks on Opening Night, but you are only poking the bear and they were made to pay in ruthless fashion last night with arguably the best player on the planet right now putting on an absolute clinic.

And, in doing so, Connor McDavid proved once again that he is just a full-on human cheat code and, while there may only be 56-games in the 2020-21 regular season, don’t be surprised if he goes and puts up 100 points because, if anyone can do it, it will be him.