Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid criticized a dangerous play by Anaheim Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson after being driven into the goalpost during Thursday's 5-4 loss at Rogers Place.

The incident occurred just over eight minutes into the opening period when McDavid accelerated toward the net and attempted to get past the Ducks defense. After Anaheim goaltender Laurent Brossoit knocked the puck away with a poke check, Helleson made shoulder-to-shoulder contact with McDavid, sending him crashing into the left goalpost.

The 29-year-old centre remained on the ice momentarily before getting back up and confronting Helleson. He subsequently headed to the dressing room for an evaluation but returned to action later in the first period without an apparent injury.

McDavid was particularly unhappy with the collision because of his previous injuries from similar situations. During his rookie campaign in 2015-16, he broke his collarbone after being sent into the end boards following a collision involving Philadelphia Flyers defensemen Michael Del Zotto and Brandon Manning. He missed 37 games because of that injury.

In 2019, he also suffered a small PCL tear in his left knee after Calgary Flames defenseman Mark Giordano sent him into the goalpost during the final game of the regular season.

Explaining his frustration after Thursday's game, McDavid described such collisions as dangerous, especially when players approach the net or end boards at high speed.

“Obviously it's a play that is a little sensitive to me,” said McDavid. “Those are plays that I've been really really hurt on before, you know? Going into the end wall, going into the net. Those type of plays I find to be dangerous and obviously I didn't love it.

“When you’re going Mach 1 into the end wall or into the net, you know, those are dangerous plays in my opinion, and a situation that I find myself a lot in.”

The incident also led to teammate Vasily Podkolzin to confront Helleson. Podkolzin landed several punches before officials separated the players. He received penalties for fighting and instigating, along with a game misconduct, resulting in his ejection.

McDavid expressed appreciation for Podkolzin's response but was unhappy with the resulting penalty decision. The confrontation also disrupted Edmonton's forward combinations for the remainder of the contest.

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Even amid the chaos, McDavid once again showcased his brilliance, finishing with one goal and three assists in 24:25 of ice time. He extended his season-opening point streak to 17 games, collecting 44 points through 16 appearances, including 10 goals and 34 assists.

His four-point performance also kept him on pace for 217 points, which would surpass Wayne Gretzky's NHL single-season record of 215 points established in 1985-86.

The Oilers faced a 5-2 deficit before scoring twice late in the third period to make the contest a one-goal game. However, Edmonton could not complete its comeback.

The Ducks also capitalized on the penalty-filled contest, scoring twice on the power play. A total of 57 penalty minutes were assessed by the final buzzer, contributing to a game in which the Oilers never quite settled into a consistent rhythm at even strength.