Oilers Stars Achieved Feats Not Seen Since Wayne Gretzky During Game 1 Win

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are having Gretzky-like postseasons.

Edmonton Oilers / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Edmonton Oilers took a 1-0 lead over the Dallas Stars in the NHL Western Conference finals on Thursday night. Connor McDavid scored the game-winner in overtime. He also tallied his 20th assist of the 2024 postseason and the Oilers have only played 13 games. If that sounds historic, that's because it is. McDavid and Wayne Gretzky are the only players in NHL history to record 20 assists in 13 or fewer games in a postseason.

Amazingly, McDavid isn't the only Oiler to tie a Gretzky record this year. Leon Draisaitl, who scored the first goal of Game 1, now has 25 points in 13 postseason games. It's the second time he's done that and Gretzky is the only other player to do that multiple times (McDavid isn't far behind with 23 points).

Legendary company for Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid 👏 pic.twitter.com/iditRzag6a

— ESPN (@espn) May 24, 2024

So how far can these guys go? How much more like Gretzky can they be?

During the 2022 postseason, McDavid had 23 assists which was the 14th-most in a single postseason in NHL history. Gretzky holds the top three assist totals in postseason history and five of the top 10. The record is 31 which sure seems like a possibility if the Oilers can get to the Stanley Cup Final.

Draisaitl has a little more work cut out for him. Gretzky had 47 points in 1985. He only played 18 games that postseason. Mario Lemieux is the only other player to break the 40 point barrier, which Gretzky has done three times. Lemieux had 44 points in 1991. It took him 23 games.

The Oilers have at least four games remaining and that's only if they don't win another game. If McDavid and Draisaitl keep playing like this, that seems unlikely. The more you hear Gretzky's name over the next couple weeks, the more likely these two Oilers are continuing their incredible play.