Key Takeaways
- Connor McDavid reached 30 assists in 15 games, surpassing Wayne Gretzky's 16-game mark from 1984-85.
- McDavid extended his NHL-record season-opening assist streak to 15 games and scored his 418th career goal.
- Matt Tomkins made 27 saves in his first NHL game since April 17, 2024, as Edmonton won 4-1.
A Gretzky Record That Stood for 41 Years Is Gone
Connor McDavid needed just 50 seconds to open the scoring, and by the second period he had broken a Wayne Gretzky record that had stood since 1984-85.
The Edmonton Oilers beat the New York Rangers 4-1 at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, their third straight win and a perfect 7-0-0 start on the road.
McDavid's secondary assist on Evan Bouchard's power-play goal at 9:49 of the second period was his 30th assist in just 15 games — the fastest any player in NHL history has reached 30 assists. Gretzky needed 16 games in 1984-85.
The assist also extended McDavid's NHL-record season-opening assist streak to 15 games.
A Night of Milestones
McDavid's opening goal, scored off a short Bouchard pass he banked off the wall to himself before beating Dylan Garand, was the 418th of his career, moving him past Glenn Anderson into sole possession of fourth place on the Oilers' all-time list. It was also his eighth career opening-minute goal, an Oilers record that passes Mark Messier.
Colton Dach made it 2-0 at 6:19 of the first period and later scored into the empty net at 19:20 of the third — the first multigoal game of his NHL career. Bouchard finished with a goal and two assists for 26 points this season, and Leon Draisaitl added two assists.
Pavel Dorofeyev scored New York's only goal at 13:22 of the second period. Garand made 21 saves for the Rangers (7-7-1), who have lost four straight.
The Other Story: Matt Tomkins
Edmonton's win came behind a goaltender playing his first NHL game since April 17, 2024. Matt Tomkins made 27 saves for his fourth career NHL win, stopping the last 10 shots he faced, including all eight in the third period.
The Oilers are now 11-2-2.
The Twikup Take
Breaking a Gretzky record is supposed to be the hard part. McDavid did it in game 15, on the road, on a back-to-back — and his goalie hadn't played an NHL game in over two years. This Edmonton start is getting historic in a hurry.
Image: Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers by All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0.