Leon Draisaitl acknowledges his error that led to Artturi Lehkonen's last-second game-winning goal - "It's a split second where I lost my guy"

By Arnab Mondal

Modified Mar 17, 2024 06:47 GMT

Leon Draisaitl reflected on missed opportunities for the Edmonton Oilers following their 3-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche at Rogers Place. Draisaitl acknowledged the Avalanche's speed and defensive ability in the game, stating:

"They're a fast team, they limit you to chances."

Despite feeling they had sufficient opportunities to secure victory, Leon Draisaitl admitted:

"I thought we had enough looks to potentially win the game, but that's how these types of games go, right?"

However, Leon Draisaitl took ownership of the critical moment that led to the Avalanche's triumph, conceding:

"It's a split second where I lost my guy there and the game's over. But all in all, I thought it was good game.""

Artturi Lehkonen secured the victory for the Avalanche with a last-second goal in overtime, capitalizing on a centering pass from Nathan MacKinnon that beat Stuart Skinner.

The Avalanche­ marked the­ir sixth win in a row with Sean Walker scoring two goals. Alexandar Georgiev saved 32 shots. Nathan MacKinnon got 31 points in 15 consecutive game­s with 10 goals and 21 assists during this streak.

Despite goals from Warren Foegele and Sam Carrick, the Oilers couldn't overcome Skinner's 41 saves, halting their two-game winning streak.

Leon Draisaitl Watches as Avalanche Edge Oilers in Overtime Thriller

At 10:39, Sean Walker's shot shattere­d the deadlock during the se­cond period. Receiving a crisp pass from Artturi Le­hkonen, Walker unleashe­d sizzling shot from the right circle in a 2-on-1 scenario, propelling Avalanche­ to a 1-0 lead.

The Oilers responded in the third period when Warren Foegele tied the game 1-1 at 5:46, redirecting Evan Bouchard's point shot into the net. Edmonton then took the lead at 11:48, with Sam Carrick capitalizing on inside position to score from close range, assisted by Corey Perry, who notched his 900th NHL point.

However, Colorado fought back, with Walker netting his second goal of the night at 14:40, chipping in a one-timer from the left hash marks off a pass from Casey Mittelstadt, leveling the score at 2-2.

The game remained deadlocked until overtime when Artturi Lehkonen secured the victory for the Avalanche with a goal, giving them a 3-2 win over the Oilers.

The victory marked Walker's first goal with Colorado since being acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers on March 6.