Connor McDavid opens up about goal scoring after 1200 points: “It never came easy”
· Yahoo Sports
Connor McDavid reached another historic milestone but chose honesty over celebration. The Edmonton Oilers captain admitted goal scoring has never come naturally, even after hitting 1,200 NHL career points and 401 career goals.
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McDavid scored twice in a 5-2 win over the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday night. His first goal marked the 400th of his career. His second, an empty-net finish, pushed him to 1,200 points in just 784 games. Only Wayne Gretzky (504 games) and Mario Lemieux (593 games) reached that mark faster.
Despite the numbers, McDavid downplayed his scoring ability. He said goal scoring has always required effort and focus, offering a rare look at the work behind his elite production.
“Goal scoring is something that has not come easy to me or naturally to me,” McDavid said after the game. “So, something that I work at, something that I focus on. I’ve said it at the beginning of the year, trying to shoot more pucks and take pucks there. There’re good nights and bad nights in that area. I’m fortunate to have scored a couple goals in this league.”
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March has been strong for the Oilers star, despite the team’s struggles. He has five goals and 10 assists in 11 games this month. For the season, he sits at 40 goals and 78 assists through 72 appearances for 118 points. His consistency continues to drive Edmonton’s offense.
Connor McDavid called 1200 points ‘a big number’
Talking about his 1200-point milestone, McDavid called it a big achievement.
“It’s a big number, obviously,” McDavid said. “I feel like I got a lot of great years ahead of me still, which is exciting. But as I said, it’s a reflection of time past. As I said, incredibly grateful to have played with so many great players to knock some of these milestones off.”
Meanwhile, Edmonton is still second in the Pacific Division after the win with a 35-28-9 record. Their attack ranks among the league’s best, led by McDavid’s production. However, defensive inconsistency has been their core issue, something they need to work on.
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