Dhe wild ride at the start had also affected Leon Draisaitl. Visibly exhausted and unmistakably disappointed, the Edmonton Oilers ice hockey star analyzed the spectacular 6:8 in the first NHL playoff semifinal game at the Colorado Avalanche, which reduced his chances of the long-awaited Stanley Cup. It was the highest-scoring Conference Finals in 37 years.
“Obviously we have to change something. We can’t give away so many goals and expect to win the Western Conference Finals like this,” Draisaitl quarreled. But he promised three times at the press conference: “We will do better.” Game two will follow again on Friday night in Colorado – then Edmonton should shed the lethargy that has occurred in phases on the defensive.
There was a 6:9 against the Flames
“A little sharper, a little harder,” Draisaitl expects his team, “we have to make sure we’re ready from the start.” That was the problem in the previous round against the Calgary Flames when the Oilers scored 6 in game one :9 were shot from the ice. “This is the second time this has happened,” criticized Draisaitl. He’s hoping his team can turn around like they did in the series against Calgary.
After all, he was able to set another record at the start of the semifinals. Thanks to his two assists, the Cologne native is now the first NHL professional in history to score multiple assists in a row in six playoff games. Draisaitl even surpassed Oilers icon Wayne Gretzky in this statistic.
But the former NHL MVP is not looking at personal honors this season, only at the Stanley Cup. “When we play to our strengths,” said Draisaitl, “we are a team that is difficult to fight.” If.
