Connor McDavid spectacular as Edmonton Oilers light up Lightning

With the NHL’s best team in town, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid stole the show on Monday night.

McDavid electrified the Rogers Place crowd with four goals and an assist as the Oilers downed the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2.

“I just felt good,” McDavid about his performance after the game.

“Anytime the No. 1 team in the league rolls into your building, you need to be up for it and ready to go.”

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“It seems like he’s from another planet. It’s like it’s not fair, really,” explained linemate Leon Draisaitl, who chipped in with three points of his own on the night.

McDavid also had the opposition buzzing over his performance.

“He’s one of the best — if not the best — for a reason,” said Lightning star Steven Stamkos.

“He has another gear that no one has in this league so when he gets skating it’s tough.”

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“He’s the best or one of the best in the world along with Crosby. He had a heck of a game and proved his value tonight,” Lightning forward Tyler Johnson added. “We got to do a better job against him but you have to give him a lot of credit.”

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The Oilers’ power play finally came to life in the first period. McDavid scored on a deflection just 1:48 into the game. Draisaitl muscled a shot under Andrei Vasilevskiy with 2:36 left in the period. Ryan Strome assisted on both goals. Coming into the game, the Oilers were 3/50 on the man advantage over their previous 19 outings.

“The power play has been under the microscope for so long now, and to be able to score a couple on the power play feels really good,” McDavid said. “That takes off a little bit of the pressure and you can get that confidence back and start making plays.”

The Lightning got a goal from Alex Killorn halfway through the period.

McDavid struck again early in the second. He cut in from the left wing and deftly flipped a short-side shot over Vasilevskiy’s right shoulder.

Iiro Pakarinen made it 4-1 by snapping a shot home on a two-on-one. Vasilevskiy was replaced for the start of third period by Louis Domingue.

Yanni Gourde scored on a power play for Tampa Bay early in the third. With 13:05 left, McDavid stole an errant pass at the Oilers blue-line. He blazed past Mikhail Sergachev for a breakaway and beat Domingue with a move to his forehand. His fourth goal was a funny one. His centring pass was deflected up in the air. It landed in front and bounced back towards the net and behind Domingue.

“He’s playing at a very high level right now and the team’s playing well around him,” Oilers head coach Todd McLellan said of his captain’s performance.

It was the first four-goal game by an Oiler since Sam Gagner against Chicago on Feb. 2, 2012.

The Oilers (23-24-4) are 5-1-1 in their last seven. They’ll visit Los Angeles on Wednesday.

–With files from Brenden Ullrich

Watch below: Some Global News videos featuring Oilers captain Connor McDavid.

0:23 Edmonton Oilers’ McDavid clocked going over 40 km/h while scoring goal against the Calgary Flames

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