It didn’t take a hockey expert to predict that Connor McDavid would show up when it mattered most for the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers. But breaking down precisely how McDavid was going to pick apart the Panthers’ formidable defense was something that only the great Wayne Gretzky could do from the NHL on TNT studio.
The Oilers went into the second intermission trailing 3-2. So naturally, a big talking point from the NHL on TNT studio team was how the Oilers could find a way to mount a comeback and force overtime or potentially even win the game in regulation.
Gretzky shared his input on how McDavid could either find an opportunity for himself or a teammate, saying that he should set up the offense from the outside and attempt to either score or dump off the puck after going around the net.
“They are playing really smart,” said Gretzky of the Panthers’ defense. “They are playing that Rick Tocchet defense. They have got that forward in the middle. They are giving him the outside. Connor is going to have to take it around the net or stop up and hit the late guy. Because they are cutting everything off going to the net.”
McDavid did exactly what Gretzky hoped he would do in the first few minutes of the third period, taking it around the net and passing the puck to Mattias Ekholm as Panther defenders crashed in on him. This allowed Ekholm a clean shot on goal, beating Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to tie the game at 3-3.
Naturally, Gretzky’s NHL on TNT castmates had plenty of praise for “The Great One” for his spot-on analysis during a third intermission preceding overtime. But Gretzky was largely humble about his analysis, explaining how it was largely luck, in addition to the fact that Connor McDavid is currently the best hockey player in the world.
“Let me tell you something, that is called luck,” said Gretzky. “Because he’s the best player in the world. He knows what he’s doing. I just got lucky with that statement.”
Call it luck or call it excellent in-depth analysis. But Gretzky clearly knows what is going through the heads of some of the best players in the sport, which makes sense considering he is widely regarded as the very best to ever put on a pair of skates.
Ahead of the overtime period, Gretzky offered up one more prediction to live up to the “Gretztradamus” nickname the NHL on TNT cast gave him, predicting that McDavid would again rise to the occasion in overtime with a game-winning goal for the Oilers.
He wasn’t far off in this prediction either, as McDavid would again come up with an assist on Leon Draisaitl’s game-winner near the end of the overtime period to give the Oilers a 1-0 series lead.