It's still a little early. The eyes are too glassy and the legs too unsteady to fully comprehend what's happened, so having a full grasp on the long-term ramifications is a bit much to ask.

After losing Game 5, the Edmonton Oilers now face elimination. Their 2025 playoff run is barely hanging on, and if they’re still going to win the Stanley Cup, they need their leader Connor McDavid to start firing again.

He has played at a level many hockey players would do anything to achieve. But McDavid has another level — and the Oilers need it now.