Connor McDavid willed the Edmonton Oilers to a commanding 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night. The massive win catapults Edmonton to 90 points. They now hold sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division. The Oilers sit two points clear of the Vegas Golden Knights as the Western Conference playoff race reaches a breaking point.
McDavid dropped three goals and two assists at the SAP Center. This marks his 15th career hat trick. He now sits at an NHL-leading 133 points for the year. The Oilers captain is a mere three goals away from securing his second career 50-goal season with just three games remaining on the schedule, according to a detailed report published after the final horn.
Edmonton’s special teams exploded. The power-play unit capitalized on all three opportunities against San Jose. They desperately needed this. The man-advantage had withered to a dismal 3-for-27 stretch over the ten games following Leon Draisaitl’s lower-body injury on March 15.
"Tonight every shift he was really dialled in."
Connor McDavid put on a show in San Jose, lifting the #Oilers past the Sharks with his 15th career hat trick. @TonyBrarOTV recaps the win from SAP Center.@CIBC | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/bSVixC943b
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 9, 2026
In net, Connor Ingram stopped 8 of 10 shots through two periods for Edmonton before exiting the game. Tristan Jarry took the crease for the third period. He shut the door with four saves.
San Jose got goals from Kiefer Sherwood and rookie Macklin Celebrini. Alex Nedeljkovic made 21 saves in the losing effort.
The regulation defeat is devastating for the Sharks. They are now stranded three points behind the Nashville Predators for the final Western Conference wild-card spot with only four games left to play.
Despite the loss, Celebrini etched his name into the history books. His goal pushed his season total to 108 points. That cements his campaign as the third-highest-scoring season by a teenager in NHL history. He trails only Wayne Gretzky at 137 points and Sidney Crosby at 120 points.
For Edmonton, reviving a dormant power play without their secondary superstar is a massive paradigm shift. In the ruthless world of professional sports, momentum is everything. They proved they can execute on the man-advantage exactly when the postseason looms and the division crown hangs in the balance.