Oilers vs. Avs could be another McDavid-fuelled classic

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They say all politics is local. Maybe they should say the same about hockey fandom. Once a team is eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs, its supporters tend to lose interest in the rest of the tournament. Very few clubs attract a truly national following, and there's too much bad blood between many of the Canadian teams for their fans to stomach cheering for another.

Connor McDavid's Edmonton Oilers might be an exception to this kind of provincialism. Among the 25-year-old superstar's many talents is his ability to command the attention of not just hockey fans, but anyone with the slightest interest in sports. His electrifying performance in the rollicking Battle of Alberta, where he scored the series winner in OT, stole the hearts (and eyeballs) of hockey fans across Canada. It even helped the NHL (however briefly) capture its white whale — the elusive Casual American Fan.

Now, McDavid and the Oilers are set for another viewer-friendly matchup in the Western Conference final against Colorado. The Avalanche are a highly entertaining team that scored the third-most goals in the league this season and feature two of the best (and most exciting) players in the game.

Here are some things to know for the series, which opens Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET in Denver and can be seen live on the CBC TV network, the CBC Sports app and CBCSports.ca:

McDavid is playing out of his mind. You probably don't need me to tell you that. But here are a few stats to put his brilliance in these playoffs in perspective. With 26 points in just 12 games, McDavid is more than halfway to Wayne Gretzky's