-
Greg Wyshynski
SUNRISE, Fla. — Leon Draisaitl is at his greatest when describing the Edmonton Oilers‘ worst moments.
They had been “waxed” and “spanked” in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Last by the Florida Panthers, after they misplaced 6-1. They “put us on our heels early and we had been lollygagging round” within the first interval of Game 4, when Florida constructed a 3-0 lead and chased beginning goaltender Stuart Skinner for the second straight recreation.
“It is definitely not the time to lollygag round, proper?” Draisaitl requested rhetorically.
Certainly, it isn’t, which may be why Draisaitl did not let the Oilers linger in time beyond regulation too lengthy earlier than ending Recreation 4 along with his eleventh purpose of the playoffs — shoving the puck in the direction of the Panthers’ internet, having it deflect off defenseman Niko Mikkola and behind Sergei Bobrovsky at 11:18. Edmonton gained 5-4, tied the sequence at 2-2 and fully flushed any lingering embarrassment over that Recreation 3 “spanking.”
Within the course of, Draisaitl continued to rewrite the NHL report books and loudly acknowledged his case because the Stanley Cup playoffs’ most dear participant.
As of Friday morning, Draisaitl had the second-best odds at successful the Conn Smythe Trophy, based on ESPN BET (+225), trailing Florida middle Sam Bennett (+140) and forward of teammate Connor McDavid (+260), who gained the award in a dropping effort final season.
Oilers defenseman Jake Walman believes that it is not simply Draisaitl’s scoring however his all-around recreation that is what makes him such a driving pressure for the Oilers.
“He is a beast who can do all of it for us,” Walman mentioned. “There have been stretches on this postseason when he is performed nice defensively too.”
Edmonton has a plus-4 in purpose differential with Draisaitl on the ice within the postseason.
“It is unbelievable. He is a horse on the market for us,” mentioned ahead Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who has performed with Draisaitl because the 29-year-old middle was drafted third overall in 2014 by Edmonton. “We will at all times lean on him. He at all times finds a strategy to get these huge [goals].”
The numbers make that assertion plain. Draisaitl’s Recreation 4 winner was his fourth time beyond regulation purpose of this postseason, setting a brand new single playoff 12 months report within the NHL. Extremely, Draisaitl additionally holds the single-season report for time beyond regulation objectives within the common season (six), which he additionally set this season.
Draisaitl is simply the fifth participant in NHL historical past to attain a number of time beyond regulation objectives in a Stanley Cup Last sequence. Maurice Richard holds the report with three OT objectives.
“He is among the best gamers on the planet for a purpose. He not solely says what he’ll do, he backs it up along with his play and his actions. That is what makes him a tremendous chief,” Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse mentioned. “We get into time beyond regulation. In these tense moments, he has a capability to loosen up and simply make performs. He will get rewarded for working laborious.”
1:11
Leon Draisaitl scores OT winner for Oilers in Recreation 4
Leon Draisaitl notches the game-winning purpose with this one-handed effort in a pulsating Recreation 4 that ranges the sequence for Oilers.
Draisaitl has been maybe the NHL’s most dominant participant when factoring within the common season with the postseason. The Oilers star completed an in depth second to Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck within the voting for the Hart Trophy as league MVP, after a season through which Draisaitl led the NHL in objectives (52) and was third general in factors (106). Draisaitl was the winner of the Hart in 2019-20, and this was the fourth season of fifty or extra objectives in Draisaitl’s 11-year NHL profession.
Draisaitl is now second to Sam Bennett (14 objectives) in postseason objectives, after scoring his eleventh in time beyond regulation of Recreation 4. He is now tied with teammate Connor McDavid with 32 factors in 20 playoff video games to steer all scorers.
He has now reached 30 factors in two straight postseasons, turning into solely the fifth participant in NHL historical past to perform that feat, together with McDavid (2024-2025), Nikita Kucherov (2020-2021), Mario Lemieux (1991-1992) and Wayne Gretzky (1987-1988 and 1983-1985). Draisaitl now has three 30-point playoff seasons in his profession, tying him with McDavid and Hockey Corridor of Famer Mark Messier for second all-time behind all-time chief Gretzky, who had six 30-point playoff campaigns.
It isn’t simply the quantity of scoring for Draisaitl — it is when he is scoring. Think about that he has 16 factors within the remaining two rounds of the playoffs, together with a series-best seven factors within the Stanley Cup Last. Draisaitl has factors in 17 of 20 playoff video games, and 9 of his previous 10 general.
“He is as clutch because it will get,” mentioned goalie Calvin Pickard, additionally a Recreation 4 hero for Edmonton with 22 saves and a win in reduction of Skinner. “He is been taking part in nice. All the time scoring huge objectives at huge instances.”
Within the case of his Recreation 4 efficiency, Draisaitl not solely got here by within the clutch but in addition did in a constructing that hasn’t been pleasant to him. He hadn’t tallied some extent in any of his earlier 5 Stanley Cup Last video games on the street towards the Panthers. He did not even generate a shot on purpose in Recreation 7 final season or in Recreation 3 this postseason. He additionally didn’t generate a shot try in Recreation 3, marking simply the second time in 93 profession playoff video games that this occurred for Draisaitl.
On Thursday, he made up for misplaced time with three factors, helping on objectives by Nugent-Hopkins and Vasily Podkolzin earlier than scoring certainly one of his personal in time beyond regulation.
Florida coach Paul Maurice believes his crew has defended Draisaitl and McDavid “fairly effectively” within the sequence at 5-on-5.
“I feel they’re nonetheless going to generate some motion,” the coach mentioned. “I feel the even-strength likelihood is fairly tight by 4 video games.”
One of many variations for Edmonton this postseason, after dropping to Florida in Recreation 7 of the Stanley Cup Last in 2024, is their confidence and luxury in taking part in in tight video games and grinding sequence. In the event that they get down, they do not get flustered. If issues aren’t clicking offensively, they’re affected person.
“You simply get snug in these conditions figuring out that you simply play one good recreation, you discover a strategy to get a win on the street, and also you go house and the sequence is tied. That is actually all it’s,” Draisaitl mentioned earlier than Recreation 4. “Typically these video games the place you simply get waxed a bit bit, they’re nearly simpler to get out of, proper? We did not play our greatest. They performed their greatest. We weren’t even near bringing our greatest. You park that, you progress on.”
1:00
Draisaitl comes up huge with OT winner in Recreation 1
Leon Draisaitl nets the successful purpose late in time beyond regulation to assist the Oilers take Recreation 1 of the Stanley Cup Last.
For all of the message-sending that the Panthers did in Recreation 3 — on the scoreboard, on the ice and with their mouths — the Oilers despatched an essential one about their resiliency with their Recreation 4 rally.
“It tells you that our group by no means quits. We imagine that regardless of how unhealthy it’s, if we recover from that hump of adversity, we will hold pushing, we will hold coming, and ultimately it’s going to break,” Draisaitl mentioned. “You do not need to be in these conditions too many instances. However after they occur, I feel we’re nice at it.”
It helps to have somebody like Leon Draisaitl scoring when it issues most.
“I do not know what may convey what he means to our crew,” Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch mentioned. “The management, the play. He has simply elevated his recreation within the hardest moments.”