McDavid’s four‑point night

Connor McDavid didn’t just have one of those “two assists and call it a night” games. On April 8, he scored a hat trick, added two assists, and touched all five Edmonton goals in a 5-2 win over San Jose. (nhl.com) That win changed the standings immediately. Edmonton moved into sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division after losing in overtime to Utah the night before. (espn.com) The timing is what made the outburst feel bigger than a random hot night in January. Hockey-Reference listed the Oilers at 90 points after the San Jose game with only a handful of regular-season games left. (hockey-reference.com) McDavid’s first goal came on the power play in the opening period, and his next two came in the second. He also set up power-play goals by Vasily Podkolzin and Jack Roslovic, which meant every Edmonton goal ran through No. 97. (nhl.com) That kind of box score is rare even for him. It was McDavid’s 15th career hat trick and his third hat trick of the 2025-26 season. (espn.com) It also fit the season he was already having. ESPN’s player page had him at 133 points through 79 games after that win, which put him back in range of another finish that looks absurd by normal National Hockey League standards. (espn.com) The Oilers needed that version of him because the margin in the division was thin. Edmonton’s next game was listed for April 11 against Los Angeles, another Pacific Division team sitting right in the same late-season traffic jam. (nhl.com) That is why nights like this change the mood around a team so fast. One superstar game against San Jose can wipe away the sting of the Utah loss, grab two standings points, and send Edmonton into a direct showdown with Los Angeles looking like the team nobody wants to draw. (espn.com)