Leon Draisaitl advances to the NHL finals with the Edmonton Oilers
Leon Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers are in the Stanley Cup Final for the second consecutive year. The Canadians are hoping for revenge there. And their starting position is better than last year.
Ice hockey star Leon Draisaitl has advanced to the NHL Finals with the Edmonton Oilers and is looking to make up for the title he missed last year. The Cologne native scored two goals in the 6-3 win in Game 5 of the series against the Dallas Stars and can now make another attempt at winning the Stanley Cup for the first time.
The Oilers' opponents in the final series will once again be the Florida Panthers, who Edmonton lost to in a dramatic playoff game last year. The defending champions had already defeated the Carolina Hurricanes in five games on Thursday night.
In Dallas, after the Oilers scored two quick goals, things initially seemed to be going smoothly for Draisaitl and his teammates. Even when the Stars, in an act of desperation, pulled their otherwise reliable goalie Jake Oettinger from the net, nothing changed. Quite the opposite: Just a minute later, Edmonton added their third goal of the first period.
But the home team didn't give up, catching up both in the middle period and at the beginning of the final period, giving the fans at the American Airlines Center new hope. Superstar Connor McDavid scored some impressive goals for the Oilers.
"That was huge for us," Draisaitl praised his congenial partner. "There's only one player on the planet who can score that goal. And we're overjoyed to have him on our team."
Shortly thereafter, Draisaitl set up the decisive 5-3 with his second assist. A goal into the Stars' empty net finally set the final score.
"That's what sets us apart this year," Draisaitl said afterward about the team's cohesive performance, in which six different players scored goals. "Our depth is incredible," the goalscorer added.
The series against the Panthers, featuring Draisaitl's national teammate Nico Sturm, begins Thursday night at Rogers Place in Edmonton. The Oilers will be tempted to avoid three opening losses like last year. However, if it comes down to a decisive seventh game again, at least this time it would be with their home fans behind them.
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