McDavid, 'best player in the world,' hits career-high 124 points

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid scored twice to push his NHL-leading goal total to 54 and set a career high with 124 points during a 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night.

McDavid continued making a case to win his third Hart Trophy for MVP in eight seasons with his 12th multigoal game of the season, helping the Oilers to a pivotal two points in a clogged Western Conference playoff race.

«The finish was all-world,» Edmonton coach Jay Woodcroft said of McDavid scoring the go-ahead goal on the fly by beating Craig Anderson through the legs 3:23 into the third period, and less than two minutes after the Sabres tied the game at 2.

McDavid's 124 points in 65 games are one more than the career best he set in 80 games last year, and the All-Star center extended his points streak to 11 games, in which he has 12 goals and 15 assists.

«I saw someone that was competitive right from the puck drop,» Woodcroft said. «Connor's at a different evolutionary stage in his game right now, and I think everyone saw that here tonight.»

A crowd from an Eastern Conference city that doesn't often get to see McDavid in person appeared to have gotten their money's worth, though the hometown Sabres failed to pick up two points in their fight for a wild-card berth.

«Who's more likely to make a big play than him?» teammate Zach Hyman said. «He's the best player in the world, and he's pushing his own boundaries. He's been driving the bus for a long time and continues to get better.»

Derek Ryan also scored, and Stuart Skinner stopped 37 shots for the Oilers, who improved to 5-4-3 in their past 12 and bounced back from a 7-5 loss at Winnipeg on Saturday.

Jeff Skinner and Dylan Cozens scored for the Sabres, and Anderson