Mark Madden: Connor McDavid can cement legacy if he completes historic Oilers comeback

It’s squeaky bum time in Sunrise, Fla.

It’s not just the humidity.

The Edmonton Oilers fulfilled captain Connor McDavid’s wish to “drag them back to Alberta,” “them” being the Florida Panthers.

Florida led the Stanley Cup Final three games to none and appeared ready to flick the Oilers aside and sweep to the franchise’s first championship.

But the Oilers since have posted 8-1 and 5-3 victories. Game 6 is Friday at Edmonton. It feels like more than merely making the series close.

It feels like Edmonton is going to pull off the reverse sweep: Overturn a three-games-to-none deficit and win in seven.

That’s only been done once before in the final: Toronto did it to Detroit in 1942.

The next time it happened in the NHL was 1975, when the New York Islanders did it to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the quarterfinals. A 14-year-old boy cried. It was heartbreaking.

Edmonton has that vibe for several reasons.

Florida plays very heavy. Physical hockey all the time, every night, 60 minutes. It wears the opposition out.

But after 22 playoff games, that might also be wearing the Panthers out. There are two players involved in every collision.

Through the first three games of this final, Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky seemed to be playing his way into the Hall of Fame, or at least to the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP. He made 83 saves on 86 shots, including 32 to steal Game 1 via 3-0 shutout.

Since then, Bobrovsky has been rotten: nine goals conceded on 39 shots, a save percentage of .769. Yuck.

Bobrovsky got yanked in Game 4.

McDavid netted a bad-angle goal in Game 5 to put Edmonton ahead 3-0. OK, it’s McDavid, but the angle was severe.

Bobrovsky always has been mercurial. Will he right himself?

And speaking of McDavid …

This is McDavid’s time. Finally.

He’s transcending all the relatively meaningless regular-season stats and accolades. He’s piling up playoff numbers and moments worthy of Mario Lemieux.

I thought of Lemieux when McDavid split a plethora of Panthers and fed Corey Perry for Edmonton’s fourth goal in Game 5. Roll over, Shawn Chambers, and tell Neil Wilkinson the news.

McDavid has had four points in each of the last two games, including two goals in Game 5.

Beyond his numbers, McDavid is absolutely buzzing.

He’s got 42 points in 23 postseason games. That includes 34 assists, a record for a single playoff. McDavid might get playoff MVP even if the Oilers lose.

But McDavid carrying Edmonton to wins in the last two games means more than the cumulative. What he does in the remainder of the final will mean even more than that. That’s how you earn your legacy in the NHL.

It’s one thing to be the best player in hockey.

It’s immeasurably more significant to be the best player in hockey right now.

Great fire. Great leadership. That part is reminiscent of Sidney Crosby.

McDavid put the Oilers on his back when it was required. He found an extra gear. That’s what the truly great do.

Will McDavid finish the job?

Here’s betting he drags everybody involved back to Sunrise, Fla., for Game 7.

At that point, the situation gets even squeakier.