NHL
Playoff start: Draisaitl goals aren’t enough for Oilers to win
The Edmonton Oilers didn’t stand a chance against the Los Angeles Kings in the first playoff game. photo
© Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP/dpa
The Edmonton Oilers’ hopes for the title were dashed right at the start of the playoffs. Leon Draisaitl scores twice in the NHL, but that’s not enough.
Two goals from top star Leon Draisaitl were not enough for the Edmonton Oilers to win the playoffs in the North American ice hockey league NHL. The Canadians were surprisingly defeated by the Los Angeles Kings 3:4 after overtime.
Alex Iafallo scored the decisive goal for the guests in the tenth minute of overtime. The German world-class striker Draisaitl had declared winning the Stanley Cup with the Oilers as a goal before the start of the knockout phase.
The 27-year-old from Cologne, who is currently considered one of the best players in the world, showed a strong performance and scored the goals to make it 1-0 and 3-1. But even two clear leads (2-0, 3-1) weren’t enough for the Oilers to complete their opening win in regular time. The Californians equalized in the third period with two goals to make it 3:3 and thus forced extra time. Iafallo’s goal brought the game to an end and gave the Kings an away win.
Draisaitl on Gretzky’s footsteps
With his first goal, Draisaitl rose into an elite circle. The German was only the third professional ever to score 60 points in fewer than 40 playoff games. He succeeded in 38 encounters, only the legends Wayne Gretzky (26) and Mario Lemieux (34) were faster.
Draisaitl has played in the NHL for the Oilers since 2014. Despite a number of personal records and superstar Connor McDavid at his side, the Oilers have never been able to win the most coveted ice hockey trophy in the world. The defensive has often been problematic in recent years. In the past few weeks, the Oilers had been in top form and won nine games in a row at the end of the main round.
