Connor McDavid draws attention for a grittier game

JayOnSC just posted that Cameron Gaunce is weighing in on whether Connor McDavid is playing a grittier game for the Oilers.

The talk comes right after a loud Thursday night in Edmonton. The Oilers lost 5-4 to the Ducks, and McDavid still finished with a goal and three assists, including a short-handed goal.

The edge was hard to miss. McDavid's hit on Leo Carlsson was one of the moments that had the hockey world talking about his mood in that game.

He wasn't a passenger otherwise. McDavid logged 24:25 and put three shots on goal, so the physical side came on top of his usual workload.

The numbers add a twist, though. McDavid has just 2 penalty minutes through 17 games, so whatever this is, it hasn't turned into time in the box.

JayOnSC framed the question around a grittier McDavid, with Gaunce joining Jay on Rait to discuss.

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What the edge means for the Oilers

Edmonton is 11-3-3 and sits first in the Pacific Division, but it has now lost two straight. The team is 7-0-1 on the road and 4-3-2 at home, and that home record is the one Mike Babcock has to fix.

McDavid has 44 points in 17 games and a +21 rating. Nobody in Edmonton needs him to hit more. They need the puck to stay out of their own net.

Matt Tomkins took the loss against Anaheim with five goals against, and that's what actually cost the Oilers the game. McDavid's four points were not enough to cover it.

Maybe the physical side is a real shift. Maybe it's one night of frustration in a game the Oilers let slip.

Back on Monday, McDavid's vague answer on the new system left the details open. What he does with that extra edge will be on display again Saturday, when the Oilers host Vancouver.

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