Helleson takes out McDavid with dangerous hit, Podkolzin absolutely beats the wheels off him

If you watched the Edmonton Oilers take on the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night, you know it was one of those games that had everyone on the edge of their seats for all the wrong reasons before the real fireworks even started. What began as a regular season tilt quickly turned into an emotional, physical battle that had Oilers fans holding their breath and reaching for their phones to fire off some very angry tweets. At the center of it all was a play that hit close to home for Connor McDavid, and a teammate who wasn't about to let it slide.

A Hit That Struck a Nerve

With just under 12 minutes left in the opening period, McDavid did what McDavid does. He drove hard to the Anaheim net, getting around defenseman Jackson LaCombe and firing a shot on goal. The scoring chance had already come and gone when Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson arrived late and drove the Oilers captain directly into the far goalpost. McDavid went down hard and stayed down long enough to make every Oiler fan's stomach drop.

Players from both sides converged, and that's when Vasily Podkolzin stepped in. But to his credit, Podkolzin didn't immediately fly off the handle. His first instinct was to check on his captain. Once McDavid got to his feet and made it clear he wasn't happy about the hit, Podkolzin found Helleson and absolutely went to work. We're talking a full buffet of rights and lefts that left Helleson with very little interest in participating. Helleson essentially tried to opt out of the fight, but Podkolzin wasn't exactly accepting that request.

The result? Podkolzin was handed a two-minute instigator penalty, a five-minute fighting major, and a game misconduct. Helleson got two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Ducks capitalized on the ensuing five-minute power play, with Cutter Gauthier potting the game's first goal. Edmonton would go on to lose a wild one, 5-4.

McDavid eventually headed down the tunnel after returning to the bench, but he did come back to the game and put up a goal and three assists in the loss. Still, the play clearly shook him. And his post-game comments made it crystal clear why.

"Obviously, it's a play that is a little sensitive to me. Those are plays that I've been really, really hurt on before," McDavid said. He referenced the broken collarbone he suffered as a rookie when Brandon Manning drove him into the end boards in Philadelphia, and the torn knee ligaments he sustained in 2019 when Calgary's Mark Giordano sent him crashing into the goalpost at full speed. "I don't think anyone really knows what it's like to go Mach 1 into the net or into the end wall."

The Right Call by Podkolzin

There will always be debate about whether fighting in response to a borderline hit is worth the penalty cost. In this case, the Oilers gave up a goal on the resulting power play and lost Podkolzin, who contributes on the power play and at even strength, for the rest of the game. But sometimes you take the penalty. Sometimes the message matters more than the scoreboard.

McDavid himself backed his teammate fully. "I appreciate the response from Podzy. I thought it was an unfortunate call, I didn't like the call, really, one bit," he said. He also pushed back on the idea that the hit was just a hockey play, pointing out that Helleson arrived after the scoring chance had already been made. "I think everybody understands what they are doing in that type of situation. I'm not expecting him to give me a free pass. He makes his decision, I make my decision, that's just the way it is."

Head coach Mike Babcock was equally fired up. "The instigation of the whole thing was when they run our guy into the net," he said. "Is it within the rules to crosscheck the guy into the net? I thought it wasn't." Babcock also made it clear that the team's response was exactly what he expected. "The reaction was what it should have been. That's something we just have to look after."

McDavid also raised a broader point about player safety around the net. "I wish that we treated the net like we treat the end wall," he said. "If I do that to him into the end wall, it's a five-game suspension. The net is just as dangerous, in my opinion. With the goalie there and the post there, those are dangerous plays."

It was a rare moment of raw emotion from a player who acknowledged he's often perceived as robotic. "I think people have me pegged as some type of robot, but I've got feelings and emotions too," McDavid admitted. "When that comes out, it can rattle a game up."

Despite the loss, Podkolzin's willingness to step up and protect his captain sends a message that resonates far beyond one game. It tells the rest of the league that taking liberties with McDavid, especially on late, dangerous plays around the net, comes with consequences. Whether Helleson thinks twice next time remains to be seen, but the Oilers made their stance abundantly clear. And with McDavid sitting at 10 goals and 34 assists through 17 games, with a point in every single one of them, the rest of the NHL should probably take note that messing with the best player in the world is going to come at a cost.