It’s strange how the NHL’s leading goal-scorer and second-leading points producer is not even considered the best player on his team.
Welcome to Leon Draisaitl’s world.
Superstar captain Connor McDavid still is king in Edmonton, but Draisaitl showed again Friday why he’s a worthy 1B, scoring the go-ahead goal with 1:35 remaining to give the Oilers a 3-2 victory against visiting Anaheim.
The Oilers will attempt to extend their winning streak to three games when they play Saturday night in Seattle, their first of four meetings with the Kraken this season.
Draisaitl’s game-winner was his league-best 28th goal of the season and also his ninth winning tally. The 2019-20 Hart Trophy recipient as the NHL MVP is second to Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon (64) in points with 57.
McDavid, a three-time league MVP and five-time scoring champ, is tied for fourth with 54 points, as he’s missed three games this season because of injuries.
“I take big pride in stepping up when it’s needed most,” Draisaitl said. “It’s something that’s really important to me and that I pride myself in.”
The Oilers scored the game’s first two goals before letting the Ducks back in it.
“It wasn’t perfect by any means — when you have those leads you want to make sure that you bring them home,” Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse said. “But when we were challenged at the end, we found a way to get that final blow.”
Despite netting the winner, Draisaitl was critical of his own performance.
“We had a lot of good shifts and good looks; their goalie made some big stops,” he said. “But I think, all-in-all, especially on my behalf and my line, there were too many turnovers. It felt like momentum — we would have it then a turnover would happen, and then it would be back-and-forth.
“That was mainly our line, mainly me. It happens. Those games come along every once in a while, and you just learn from them.”
The Kraken, meanwhile, had a two-game winning streak snapped with a 4-3 shootout loss Thursday to visiting Vancouver, despite rallying from a two-goal deficit in the final 11 minutes of regulation to force overtime. Defenseman Vince Dunn scored the tying goal with 53 seconds remaining in the third period.
“We came back in the third strong and were able to tie it up,” said Kraken forward Matty Beniers, who has scored in three consecutive games. “It was a good pushback, but if we can put ourselves in better situations going into the third, I think we’re going to have more success.”
It was similar to last weekend’s historic comeback in Vancouver, when the Kraken became just the third team to ever win after rallying from a three-goal deficit in the final five minutes of regulation in a regular-season game.
Despite their 2-0-1 stretch, the Kraken remain seven points back in the chase for the Western Conference’s second and final wild-card playoff berth.
“At this point, it doesn’t really matter how. Just gotta keep collecting (points),” defenseman Brandon Montour said. “We’re in a hole. We put ourselves in a position where we need to get as many wins and as many points as we can.”
–Field Level Media
