
Connor McDavid's assist streak is over. The Edmonton Oilers captain scored a goal but recorded no assist in Monday night's 3-1 win over the New York Rangers at Rogers Place, ending an 18-game run that had tied Adam Oates for the second-longest in NHL history. Leon Draisaitl scored twice as Edmonton swept the season series and stayed top of the Pacific Division.
McDavid opened the scoring himself, pouncing on a Dylan Garand giveaway and beating the Rangers goaltender unassisted at 6:42 of the first period. It was the kind of goal that has defined his season — speed, anticipation and a finish — but it carried a twist: the captain who had set up a goal in every game this season finally went a night without one.
Draisaitl made sure the night still belonged to Edmonton: his goal at 2:59 of the second stood as the winner, and his empty-net goal at 18:47 of the third sealed the 3-1 result after Chmelar's short-handed strike had kept the Rangers in the game. Levi was steady in the Edmonton net, stopping 28 shots, and the Oilers improved to 11-0-2 when scoring first this season. For the Rangers, the loss ended a three-game winning run and exposed a familiar problem: New York is now 0-7-1 when allowing the first goal.
The streak that ended on Monday was the latest chapter in a remarkable opening stretch. Two nights earlier, in Edmonton's 4-2 win over Vancouver on November 7, McDavid recorded three assists to reach 18 games and tie Oates for second-longest in NHL history. McDavid tied Oates with an 18-game assist streak as the Oilers beat the Canucks 4-2. Only Gretzky's 23-game streak from 1990-91 stood ahead of the mark McDavid matched.
A week earlier, in Edmonton's 4-1 win over the Rangers on November 1 at Madison Square Garden, McDavid recorded his 30th assist in just his 15th game, the fastest ever, beating Gretzky's record of 16 games set in 1984-85. McDavid broke Gretzky's record as the fastest to 30 assists in NHL history. He was also the NHL's First Star of October after a record 27 assists in the month, and his 48 points lead the league.
Assist streaks are among the hardest records in hockey because they demand nightly production, not one hot week. A goal scorer can go quiet for a night and still win games; a playmaker on a streak must create something every single night, against defences built specifically to stop him. McDavid did that for 18 straight games to open the season, matching a mark set in 1992-93, when he was not yet born.
The end of the streak changes nothing about what he has already done. Oates' 18-game run survived 33 years of challengers before McDavid matched it, and Gretzky's 23-game standard remains one of the sport's most durable records. McDavid's own points streak continues — 19 games and counting — and Monday's goal was a reminder that when the assists dry up for a night, he can simply score himself. Edmonton is 13-3-3, first in the Pacific, and the only recent blemish is a 4-3 shootout loss to New Jersey on November 3. Edmonton's only recent stumble came in a 4-3 shootout loss to New Jersey.
The milestone drew the obvious comparison with the two names McDavid had joined. Oates set his 18-game streak in 1992-93, and Gretzky's 23-game run in 1990-91 remains the last barrier — out of reach this season, but the chase gave the early months of the NHL season a storyline few could have scripted.
Inside the Oilers' room, the focus stayed on the result: two more points, first place in the Pacific, a season-series sweep and another two-goal night from Draisaitl. For the Rangers, the mood was different — a three-game winning run over, 0-7-1 when conceding first, and Chmelar's short-handed goal as one of few bright spots on a night when New York could not solve Levi often enough.
The streak mattered because of what it says about consistency at the very top of the sport: 18 straight nights of beating the other team's best defensive plan. Every opponent knew the streak was alive, game-planned for it, and still could not stop McDavid from setting up at least one goal — until Monday, when the Rangers finally did, and still lost.
That should worry the rest of the league most. Edmonton won a game in which its captain did not record an assist, because Draisaitl scored twice and Levi stopped 28 shots. The Oilers are not a one-player team: 13-3-3, first in their division, winning in different ways on different nights.
McDavid's points streak now becomes the number to watch: 19 games and counting, with the captain producing at a pace that would put him among the highest-scoring seasons in modern NHL history if it holds. Draisaitl's 18 goals lead the league, and the Oilers will look to keep their hold on first place in the Pacific with Levi in form behind them.
The Rangers need to fix their starts: falling behind first has meant defeat in all but one of their eight games this season when they concede the opener. New York's next games will show whether Monday was a blip or a warning.
How long was Connor McDavid's assist streak?
18 straight games, tying Adam Oates (1992-93). Only Gretzky's 23-game run (1990-91) is longer. It ended Monday, November 9, 2026, in Edmonton's 3-1 win over the Rangers.
What was the final score between the Oilers and Rangers?
Edmonton beat New York 3-1 at Rogers Place on Monday, November 9. Draisaitl scored twice, McDavid once, Levi made 28 saves. Edmonton swept the series after a 4-1 win on November 1.
Who scored for Edmonton and New York?
Draisaitl scored the winner at 2:59 of the second and an empty-netter at 18:47 of the third; McDavid scored unassisted at 6:42 of the first. Chmelar scored short-handed for New York.
What is McDavid's points total this season?
48 points (11 goals, 37 assists), leading the NHL, with a point in all 19 Oilers games. Draisaitl's 18 goals lead the league.
What are the teams' records after the game?
Edmonton is 13-3-3, first in the Pacific, 11-0-2 when scoring first. The Rangers are 10-8-1, 0-7-1 when allowing the first goal.