Edmonton Oilers: Edmonton Gives Anaheim a New Player to Deal With

While All Eyes Were on Connor McDavid and Cam Talbot in the Edmonton Oilers First Game Against the Anaheim Ducks, A New Hero Has Emerged.

We all know how dynamic Connor McDavid is, all season long he’s shown us that he’s one of the best playmakers and fastest skaters in the league. What he’s able to achieve on his own is simply amazing. He put up 100 points this season and so far has five points in seven games through the playoffs for the Edmonton Oilers. He was great in the San Jose series which put a giant target on his back heading into Anaheim. The Ducks defensive play was able to shut him down offensively every single rush but in doing so left someone else wide open, but we’ll get to him.

Cam Talbot is another who had a lot of people’s attention, after such a solid season and a postseason in which he helped Edmonton earn a second round ticket, Talbot was another man under the gun. He played well in game one allowing only three goals against a very talented and experienced Ducks team. But while that was happening, someone else appeared to help take a load off.

This is where Leon Draisaitl comes in, he played half the season on the second line for the Oilers before being moved up to the first alongside McDavid, and when he joined Connor, his point production went through the roof. He finished with 77 points during the season and in the playoffs has done quite well, especially during game one against Anaheim.

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Draisaitl first got his name on the scoresheet when the Oilers scored their first goal, and then the next two goals that followed Leon earned another two assists leaving his point total at three, so far. When the Ducks pulled goaltender John Gibson, they were trying to overwhelm Edmonton in the corners but that didn’t work as they were pickpocketed and play transitioned towards the empty net. Draisaitl and Milan Lucic led the rush and what happened was great, Leon and Milan played a little catch so to speak. Leon passed the puck over to Lucic, Milan passed it back leaving a wide open net for Leon to cash on his first goal of the series and his fourth point.

So while the Ducks can shut down McDavid, they now have a new target to look after as well in Leon Draisaitl, and let’s not forget Mark Letestu!