Connor McDavid becomes the fourth player this postseason to reach 100 career playoff points.

Connor McDavid being part of Stanley Cup Playoff history is nothing new. The Edmonton Oilers captain achieved his latest otherworldly feat on Monday night in a loss to the Dallas Stars in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final.

McDavid recorded two points in the 5-3 defeat, both in the first 7:37 of the game, to reach 100 playoff points for his career. He is the fourth-fastest player in NHL history to reach that number, doing so in 64 games. Fellow Oilers star Leon Draisaitl notched his 100th career playoff point in Game 6 of the second round after he recorded two assists in his 60th postseason game.

Hall of Famers Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux are the only players to do it faster, per Jason Gregor of the Daily Faceoff.

McDavid has 25 points in this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, though he’s scored only four goals in 15 games. He scored 18 total goals in 28 games over the last two postseasons. Still, McDavid’s 25 points are tied with Draisaitl for the playoff lead and he’s recorded a point in 11 of 15 games.

This is coming off the back of another stellar regular season for McDavid. The 27-year-old became the fourth player in NHL history to record 100 assists in a season. His 132 points were third in the league and marked his third consecutive season with at least 120 points.

Oilers blow another early lead

There is little margin for error in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and even a multi-goal lead is unsafe. The Oilers have plenty of experience testing that this postseason as they’ve blown a two-goal lead on four different occasions.

Edmonton took control of Game 3 with two goals in the first eight minutes. That lead evaporated in the second period as the Stars scored three unanswered goals before the halfway point of the game to take a 3-2 lead.

“You could definitely feel their urgency, their desperation,” McDavid said, per Jamie Umbach. “Their level went up, and we just didn’t match it.”

The Oilers tied the game heading into the second intermission but never held another lead. The loss marked the first time Edmonton suffered consecutive defeats this postseason. It was also the first time these playoffs that the Oilers lost when McDavid scored a goal.

“They all sting. Losing sucks,” McDavid said. “Obviously, series are short and you only get a handful of games. I’m not going to say we gave it away. It was 40 minutes and we were able to wrestle it back, but we just didn’t find a way again.”

The Oilers goaltender situation is again up in the air after starter Stuart Skinner allowed four goals on 21 shots. It’s the fourth consecutive game and 10th in 13 playoff games this year that he allowed multiple goals. He let three or more past him in seven games.

Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch defended Skinner post-game, giving the 25-year-old a vote of confidence ahead of Game 4 on Wednesday. It remains to be seen who will be between the pipes for Edmonton.

Edmonton facing a familiar deficit as WCF unfolds

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The Oilers trailing in a playoff series is not shocking when you dive into their recent postseason history. Edmonton has had some deep runs in recent playoffs and has faced plenty of deficits along the way.

The Oilers trailed the Vancouver Canucks two games to one in the second round a few weeks ago, eventually winning three of the next four games to win the series. Edmonton was also down 2-1 in both of its playoff series in 2023. The Oilers beat the Los Angeles Kings in six games in the first round, then lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in six games after tying the series at two.

The Oilers can ill afford to lose both of their guaranteed home games in this series. Dropping home-ice advantage is a crucial blow and could spell an end to Edmonton’s season. The Oilers could be treating Game 4 as a must-win with the series shifting back to Dallas for Game 5.

Connor McDavid and his cast of teammates will be tasked with maneuvering another series comeback. Dallas has a chance to take a stranglehold on the series, with possibly two chances to clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup Final at home.

How will McDavid follow up on his historic feat? It’s a question he’s probably looking forward to answering.