Devastated Connor McDavid minimally addresses Conn Smythe win after Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup loss

The Edmonton Oilers' captain Connor McDavid had all the right reasons to push for a Stanley Cup win this year. McDavid is going to marry his longtime girlfriend and fiancee Lauren Kyle on July 27, 2024, and the Stanley Cup win would have made it more memorable. But sadly, it did not go as planned.

The Edmonton Oilers faced two major slumps this 2023-24 NHL season. First early in the season before coach Kris Knoblauch was hired and second in the Stanley Cup finals. Both times they made a comeback; they qualified for the playoffs in the first but failed to win the Stanley Cup after forcing Game 7 in the second.

After tying the series 3-3 post-Game Six win, the Oilers lost the Game 7 with a 2-1 score. Connor McDavid looked devastated as he talked about what went different, in a post-game interview.

"We knew it was going to be tight, Game 7 for the Cup." McDavid said. "It was a real tight game, came down to one thing here and there. We were an inch away from going ahead 2-1 just before they did. It's tough; they did a good job shutting things down. We had our looks, just didn't find it."

"Came so close. Proud of the way we fought all year." McDavid said about the struggle throughout the season. ".. fought an uphill climb for months and months. Just sucks to come back from three nothing and get to this point."

Connor McDavid won the Conn Smythe Trophy this year, becoming the 'MVP'. It is the first time since 2003 that the trophy is given to a player from the losing team. Talking about the Conn Smythe Trophy win, Connor McDavid said:

"Yeah, Obviously, I guess an honor with the names on that trophy. But...(McDavid stopped)"

Talking about the chances Oilers had the game before a 2-1 loss, McDavid shared:

"So many chances, but just didn't go. We believed we would get one. Zach has a whack at it, Bouchy's got all kinds of looks. We had lots of looks, just didn't go."

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Connor McDavid and the Oilers fell short of the golden opportunity

The Edmonton Oilers fell short in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, losing 2-1 to the Florida Panthers despite a strong effort. Mattias Janmark's goal tied the game early, but Sam Reinhart's late second-period goal put Florida ahead for good. Edmonton couldn't capitalize on late opportunities, including a crucial save by Sergei Bobrovsky.

This defeat has extended Canada's Cup drought, which dates back to 1993. Despite Connor McDavid's 42-point playoff performance, Luck wasn't on their side. The Panthers overcame a series comeback by Edmonton, securing their first Stanley Cup in franchise history and denying the Oilers their first championship since 1990.