Total command. Absolute control.

We could be talking about Connor McDavid’s five-point night in a 5-2 win at San Jose. Or perhaps it was an Edmonton Oilers power play that entered the game on a two-for-20 run, but scored on all three opportunities versus the Sharks.

Or we could be referencing Edmonton’s defensive play, surrendering just 14 Sharks shots on goal — including only four in the third period, when Tristan Jarry came on in relief of an injured Connor Ingram.

“Finding a way to get three on the power play should win a lot of nights,” offered McDavid, who notched his 15th career hat trick. “But everyone defended. We checked hard. They’ve got some special players over there, one in particular. So I thought we did a good job defending.”

It was a game that San Jose absolutely needed, using up one of their two games in hand while still trailing Nashville by three points for the final wild-card spot. And Edmonton played the night before in Utah, getting to their hotel rooms at around 1:30 a.m.

But it was the Oilers who were on point and detail-oriented. And it was McDavid not Macklin Celebrini (one goal) who brought the fans out of their seats in this one.

“I’ve grown to like back-to-backs a lot this year,” McDavid said. “There's just something about........

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