Connor Brown bringing ‘big-time fire’ at right time for Oilers in NHL playoffs

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LAS VEGAS — There’s something about this time of year that brings out the best version of Connor Brown. He sure feels that.

“I grew up on championship teams my whole life,” Brown said, referring to his minor hockey days with the Toronto Marlboros, which were coached by his dad, Dan. “This is what hockey’s always been about.

“I’ve always loved to compete and trying to win. There’s something about letting it all out in the big moments and seeing where the chips fall.”

That’s been evident yet again over the past couple of weeks.

Brown followed up what Connor McDavid thought was his best game as an Oiler in the Round 1 series clincher against the Los Angeles Kings with an effort that wasn’t far off from that in a 4-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday.

“Brownie is such a smart player,” linemate Adam Henrique said. “He raises his game when everything’s on the line.”

His backcheck to break up a Golden Knights two-on-one in the first period after a Jake Walman giveaway was one of the more understated but important moments in the game.

The Oilers were already down 2-0 at that point. They could have been in big trouble if Brown hadn’t hustled back and lunged to get his stick on Tanner Pearson’s pass to Victor Olofsson.

Corey Perry scored less than two minutes later to cut the deficit in half, a goal Kris Knoblauch believed changed the course of the game. That might not have happened without Brown’s defensive work.

“I feel that was a pretty big momentum swing,” Brown said. “They put that one away; we would have been in tough (shape).”

He capped his night with an amazing individual effort, picking up the puck in the Oilers’ zone and deking out highly regarded Golden Knights defenceman Shea Theodore before beating goalie Adin Hill. That goal, with 1:46 left, sealed the victory.

“My eyes lit up when I got that puck,” Brown said. “I had my swords out, and I was on the attack mode and looking to sting them.”

Connor Brown’s fourth goal of these #StanleyCup Playoffs caps off a Game 1 win for the @EdmontonOilers! 🤩#NHLStats: https://t.co/diFqic26NU pic.twitter.com/Vecfi8vNEq

— NHL (@NHL) May 7, 2025

Brown is up to four goals and 6 points in seven games. That’s two more goals and the same number of points as he had in 19 playoff contests last year, when he became an integral part of the Oilers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final.

He relishes chipping in on the scoresheet.

“Since being in Edmonton, it’s such a talented group that I’ve been pushed down a little bit as far as offence,” Brown said. “But I’m an offensive guy. I have a good brain to make plays in the offensive zone, so I just keep my eyes open and look for my opportunities.”

Getting to this point, however, has been a gradual process.

The first half of last season was a massive struggle for Brown. He missed all but four games with the Washington Capitals after a torn ACL, but expectations were still high after signing with the Oilers as their only high-profile free agent. He was supposed to come in and provide a top-six upgrade from what the departing Kailer Yamamoto had offered.

Instead, Brown had trouble keeping up. He felt out of sorts. His play was indicative of that.

He was quickly dropped down the lineup by former coach Jay Woodcroft and remained there when Kris Knoblauch, his former bench boss with the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters, arrived that November. A month later, he was even a healthy scratch.

He didn’t score his first goal until March 13 — his 55th game that season and the Oilers’ 64th — breaking a personal drought of 72 games and almost two years. He can joke about it now, which he did after Game 3 last series to compliment Evander Kane’s almost immediate scoring prowess upon return from a lengthy injury absence. But there’s no question the beginning of last season was excruciating.

Though Brown thought he was rounding into form late last season, it wasn’t enough to crack the initial playoff lineup. Knoblauch opted to go with Dylan Holloway, who’d just been recalled from the minors. Brown was scratched for the entire opening-round series against the Kings. He only started playing in the second round because of an injury to Henrique, and he was even held out of Game 2 against the Vancouver Canucks during a short-lived attempt by Henrique to play through his ailment.

But once Brown became a mainstay, he became more impactful in every way as the playoffs progressed.

He was a penalty-killing ace, helping the Oilers to a 94.3 percent success rate during that run. He became one of the team’s spokesmen and was quick to stand up for defenceman Darnell Nurse in the wake of public criticism. He formed an effective third line with Henrique and Mattias Janmark. He scored a pivotal short-handed goal on a breakaway to open the scoring of Game 5 of the Cup Final after showing some great anticipation to pick off a pass at the defensive blue line.

“I love playing with him as a linemate,” Henrique said. “He sees the ice so well. He sees the game so well. He loves breaking it to give us more success.”

Brown said after the Final loss that his heart was in Edmonton. It wasn’t much of a surprise when he re-signed on a one-year contract as free agency opened.

“Playing here, you’re playing hockey for all the right reasons,” Brown said. “You’re playing in front of a fan base that ties a lot of their identity around the club. The best players that have ever played have come through here. You’re playing with the best player in the world. You’re playing on the biggest stage.

“It’s like hockey heaven here. It’s a great fit for me.”

He was more reliable and consistent, and his 13-goal, 30-point output while appearing in all 82 games was more aligned with his career norms.

“You’re seeing what he used to play like before the injury,” Knoblauch said.

Again, Brown has taken his game to another level in the playoffs. Only this time, Brown has hit the ground running right from the start.

“It’s no surprise that he’s doing it again,” Henrique said.

The 31-year-old started the postseason on the top line with McDavid and Zach Hyman. He finished the regular season on a line with McDavid (when the captain was in the lineup) and, often, Jeff Skinner. Hyman took Skinner’s spot there for Game 1 against the Kings after missing the last three games with an injury.

That didn’t even last one game. The Oilers got behind early against the Kings and needed to load up the top line to try to mount an offensive charge.

Brown’s been on the third line ever since, with Henrique at centre and either Kane or Trent Frederic at left wing. It’s been a perfect fit.

“You’re seeing a really confident Brownie,” Hyman said. “He’s making plays with the puck when he has it. In the playoffs, a lot of guys, when the moment gets big, you tend to tense up and you tend to rush a play or force something.

“But Brownie’s a guy who’s been here. He can not only play his game but elevate his game. He’s got a strong, strong sense of self-belief. I’ve known Brownie for a long, long time. He’s a heck of a player.”

Led by Brown’s contributions, the Oilers are getting more offensive punch from their bottom six than ever before in the McDavid and Leon Draisaitl era. Of course, Brown brings more than that.

He was the best player on the ice when the Oilers closed out the Kings. His Game 1 performance featured a couple of enormous plays, and it’s fair to suggest the Oilers might not have won without him.

“He’s probably at the top of his game that I’ve seen,” Knoblauch said. “He’s in a really good spot right now.”

It’s the best of Connor Brown, all coming out at the right time, as per usual.

“I definitely have a big-time fire,” Brown said. “Sometimes in my career, it’s more about harnessing it and letting it all hang out. Sometimes I’ve cut it too far back, and it affects my game. I have to play with that hunger and those eyes. That’s me at my best. I can’t try to be something I’m not.”

(Photo of Connor Brown scoring in Game 1 vs. the Golden Knights: Candice Ward / Getty Images)

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