But let there be no doubt who the best player on the Edmonton Oilers is this season: it’s the 49-goal man from Cologne, Germany, who scored twice on Friday to become a 100-point player for the sixth time in his 10-season NHL career.
Draisaitl’s second of the night came in overtime as the offensively strangulated Oilers gutted out a 2-1 victory in New York, a rare win during a timeframe in which the Oilers are scoring like the Montreal Maroons — as if the forward pass is yet to be declared legal.
The two goals extended Draisaitl’s points streak to 17 games (14-12-26), tying the longest streak in the NHL this season.
“Obviously, we’ve been struggling, and we’ve been struggling to score. We’ve been struggling to defend hard and put points in the bank,” Draisaitl assessed in the post-game dressing room. “I thought for the most part tonight, we were really good.
“We created a lot more (tonight), but right now it’s not falling. It’s not going in. But sometimes you need a game like that — just to grind one out and get going.”
With 17 Oilers forwards at a point where scoring a goal is as confusing as American foreign policy, the pucks continue to go in for Draisaitl, who is an amazing 13 goals clear of the NHL’s second best goal scorer, William Nylander.
After Ilya Sorokin robbed him a time or two in the early going, Draisaitl continued his six-shot barrage on the night, burying his head and drifting a rare slapper past the Islanders goalie to open the scoring in Period 2.
He scored No. 49 in overtime on a play started by goalie Calvin Pickard, whose pass to Draisaitl was laundered through McDavid, who sent No. 29 in on a breakaway.
“Connor kind of intercepted it and then just sent it to Leo,” chuckled Pickard, robbed of the primary assist.
“I’ve seen Leon just take control of his game,” marvelled head coach Kris Knoblauch. “He’s always been a good player; he’s always been dominant — one of the best forwards every single night. Now I’ve seen him step it up even more, which is very surprising. Because when you’re that good it’s tough to take any more steps.”
Some perspective: Auston Matthews — a great player and considered by many to be the game’s best goal scorer — has two 100-point seasons, and two 50-goal campaigns.
Draisaitl has had six 100-point seasons, and his next goal will make for his fourth 50-goal season.
If production is the gauge, then it’s really no contest which is the better player.
Consider also that the Oilers assistant captain has spent much of the season flanked by Vasily Podkolzin and Viktor Arvidsson, two struggling wingers who have 14 goals and 41 points between them this season, in 115 combined games.
“You look at other star players and who they get to play with,” Knoblauch said. “I don’t want to take anything away from the players that he’s playing with — tonight (Connor) Brown and (Corey) Perry had very strong games. But he’s not playing with guys who are making Olympic teams or All Star (games).”
In a season that has been a 65-game struggle for McDavid, the Oilers would not be a playoff team without Draisaitl’s production. Of his 49-51-100, 34 goals and 70 points have come at even strength.
The Rocket Richard Trophy is on his shelf already, as Draisaitl and Nathan MacKinnon (102 points) spar for the Art Ross. He’ll be up for his second Hart Trophy, whether the vote goes his way or not.
But try to get Draisaitl to talk about himself, and he becomes like most hockey players, deferring to his mates.
“I love being an Oiler. It means the world to me,” he said post-game. “And having teammates that understand the way I am and understand me as a person — sometimes, obviously (it’s) not easy. I love these guys, and without them, none of this is possible. None of this ever works without your teammates.”
His key teammate on the night was Pickard, the backup who got the start on a back-to-back for a team that’s gone three straight games on this road trip without scoring more than two goals. Pickard made 24 saves and set up the winner.
“He gives us a chance every single time he’s in net, so you can’t ask for more than that,” Draisaitl said. “We love playing for him. He’s a bit of our heart and soul guy.”
“Huge compliment from a superstar,” Pickard said.
