Connor McDavid cannot be stopped.
The Edmonton Oilers superstar hit the 60-goal plateau Wednesday night in dramatic fashion, scoring the overtime winner – his second spectacular goal of the evening – to give Edmonton a 4-3 victory over the visiting Arizona Coyotes.
With 10 games left to play, the question must be asked: Can McDavid hit 70?
No NHL player has hit that mark in 30 years, since Teemu Selanne and Alexander Mogilny both hit 76 in 1992-93 (when the NHL played an 84-game schedule). Alex Ovechkin, the NHL’s No. 2 all-time goal-scorer, has the most goals in a season in the 21st century, with 65 in 2007-08.
STAY UP-TO-DATE: Subscribe to our Sports newsletter now!
McDavid, 26, seems certain to break Ovechkin’s mark as he’s on pace to finish with 68 goals. But it wouldn’t take an especially superhuman effort for him to hit 70 based on what he’s been doing this season. McDavid nearly matched an NHL record by recording five consecutive multigoal games from Feb. 21-March 1 and has goals in five of his last six games.
Five games against three of the worst teams in the NHL could also help McDavid’s quest. The Oilers play the Coyotes (who are 26th overall in the NHL) again and play two games against the Ducks (29th) and Sharks (31st). McDavid has four goals against Arizona, two against Anaheim and two against San Jose this season.
Even if he falls short of 70 goals, McDavid’s season will still be one of the best we’ve seen in recent times. His 138 points are already the most in the 21st century and most the league has seen since the Penguins’ Jaromir Jagr (149) and Mario Lemieux (161) lit up the NHL in 1995-96. With a 28-point lead over teammate Leon Draisaitl, McDavid’s fifth Art Ross Trophy for most points is assured, and it would be a titanic stunner if he didn’t receive his third Hart Trophy as NHL MVP.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Connor McDavid reaches 60 goals in 72 games. Can he score 70?
