POST-GAME: Brown gets monkey off his back with first Oilers goal

EDMONTON, AB – “That’s the heaviest monkey of all time,” said Connor Brown, pulling the proverbial monkey off his back as he walked back into the Oilers dressing room following their 7-2 victory over the Capitals on Wednesday.

“It’s a full-blown gorilla.”

Connor Brown has scored a lot of big goals over 503 career NHL games with the Oilers, Senators and Maple Leafs, but few have provided a feeling of relief quite like during the third period of Wednesday night’s win over Washington.

“I scored a big one in Toronto at the end of the year in my rookie season for my 20th, and it was a pretty big thing,” he said post-game on Wednesday. “But I think this one takes the cake.”

A rousing reception from a rocking Rogers Place made the moment even more special for the 30-year-old, who hadn’t been able to find the back of the net in his first 55 games with the Oilers until finally, a bounce went his way.

The Oilers faithful in attendance that night made sure to let the winger know that despite some offensive struggles this season, they and his Oilers teammates and coaches are still behind him all the way. 

“It's amazing obviously when you kind of get that feeling of having this town behind you, and that kind of support is huge for a player,” Brown said. “It's huge for me to kind of build off that momentum and keep it rolling.”

And there's still a long way to go for him to find a few more goals before the regular season ends and the post-season finally begins.

“I've scored 20 multiple times in my career, so I would say it is a big part of my game,” he said. “So I was never okay with not scoring, never sufficient with just kind of letting these big boys take the load and not contributing. I'm trying to score every night, and it'll be that way moving forward and into the playoffs.”

Brown found the scoresheet against his former Capitals team with nine minutes left in the final frame when a pass from Evander Kane on a two-on-one with Evander Kane struck his left skate blade and snuck inside the post, drawing out one of the loudest cheers you’ll hear for a 7-2 goal from the fans inside Rogers Place.

The ovation lasted what seemed like minutes, with a few hats sprinkling the ice surface for the winger’s first Oilers goal on a night when a shower of chapeaus was brought down for Hyman’s fourth hat trick of the season.

“It meant a lot,” Brown said. “I mean, you play in a big market like this, they're aware of the storylines and it means a lot. Obviously, you know, it's been a struggle this year offensively. I haven't been able to get one to go in, so for their support to shine through there, it was a good feeling.”

Brown last scored on March 24, 2022 with the Senators before he suffered a torn ACL in his fourth game as a member of the Capitals in mid-October of 2023, leading to a lengthy recovery before he joining the Oilers on a one-year contract this past offseason.

The winger would’ve imagined that he’d have a few more goals by this point in his Oilers tenure, having been a 20-goal scorer twice in his nine-year career, and prides himself on being able to provide offence.

He knew if he continued to push the pace, take plenty of shots and get into the danger areas, one eventually would go in.

“I was just focused on feeling better, getting faster, stronger, playing better, and I know that if I'm around the net enough that one's going to pop in and then, I know that I can build from that and gain some confidence with the puck and the scoring areas.

“It's nice to get that at the right time of year and start rolling.”

Throughout the tough goalless stretch, Brown’s teammates observed a consummate professional and a dedicated player wh osatisfied every role given to him despite not being able to find the scoresheet.

To them, this is just the beginning for Connor Brown, and hopefully is able to open things up for the winger down the stretch and into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“It's pretty cool to see,” Leon Draisaitl added. “Obviously, it hasn't been an easy couple years for him, but I actually think he's been playing some amazing hockey. And sometimes, unfortunately, it just gets harder and harder as times go on, but very happy to see him score.

“I wouldn't be surprised if he opened the floodgates a little bit.”

“He was amazing. He accepted his role. He's elite on the penalty kill and one of the best strippers in the game. He continued to work at it and never complained. There's none of that. So a great teammate and a great guy.

“And like I said, I wouldn't be surprised if this opens the floodgates for him.”