McDavid calls for more protection at the net after Helleson hit
The Oilers captain compared the risk of going into a goalpost to hitting the end boards after returning to extend his point streak to 17 games.
Connor McDavid said he wants contact around the net treated with the same care as hits into the end boards after Anaheim Ducks defenceman Drew Helleson knocked him into a goalpost Thursday at Rogers Place.
“I wish that we treated the net like we treat the end wall,” the Edmonton Oilers captain said after the game. He said a collision at that speed can be dangerous for both the skater and the goaltender.
McDavid briefly went to the dressing room after the first-period hit before returning. He said he did not expect defenders to give him a clear path to the net, but the play brought back memories of two injuries. He broke his collarbone crashing into the end boards as a rookie and injured his left knee when he went into the net in Edmonton’s final game of the 2018-19 season.
McDavid also thanked teammate Vasily Podkolzin for stepping in after the hit. The captain finished with a goal and three assists in the 5-4 loss, extending his season-opening point streak to 17 games. He has 44 points, including 34 assists, through those 17 games.
