Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid won't leave South Florida without some NHL hardware despite the Florida Panthers defeating his team in a thrilling Game 7 Stanley Cup Final.
McDavid was named the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs after leading all players in points with 42 (eight goals, 34 assists).
He is the sixth player and second non-goalkeeper on the losing team to win the Conn Smythe.
McDavid set a playoff record with 34 assists this postseason and scored 42 points, fourth-best in NHL history. Only Wayne Gretzky's 47 and 43 points, and Mario Lemieux's 44 points, are better than what McDavid has done in these playoffs.
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Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers participates in warmups before Game 6 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers on Friday in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
He also became the first player in league history to score consecutive four-point games in Games 4 and 5 of the Stanley Cup Final to help the Oilers rally from a 3-0 deficit. In turn, Edmonton became the first team since 1945 to force a Game 7 in the final after falling 3-0.
But McDavid was pointless in Games 6 and 7, as the Panthers kept him bottled up, although he had some good opportunities in each game.
Of course, the Panthers' home crowd didn't like NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman saying that McDavid was the Conn Smythe winner, as his team won the Stanley Cup in an incredible 2-1 finish.
PANTHERS WIN STANLEY CUP IN EXCITING GAME 7 OVER OILERS
Panthers fans were chanting for Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky after Bettman named McDavid, and he was certainly in the running for the trophy after his stellar performance in Game 7 and throughout the playoffs.
Bobrovsky failed in the final three games leading up to Game 7, but made some incredible saves against a desperate Oilers team in the third period to keep the Panthers' winning lead intact.
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) looks to pressure an opponent in the second period during Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers on Tuesday at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida. (Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Throughout the playoffs, Bobrovsky averaged 2.38 goals against average with a .903 save percentage.
While the Panthers' offense was a force to be reckoned with, Bobrovsky's play in net allowed Florida to stay aggressive knowing they had a solid last line of defense behind them.
Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers watches during the first period of Game 6 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers at Rogers Place on Friday in Edmonton, Alberta. (Codie McLachlan/Getty Images)
Despite that, it's McDavid, who should be a favorite for the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's overall MVP this season, who stood out in these playoffs.
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And although he would have loved to leave Florida with the first Stanley Cup in his hand, his efforts were recognized with the highest regard.
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