Leon Draisaitl gets candid about his contribution to Oilers' Stanley Cup Final performances

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Jun 21, 2024 18:39 GMT

During a media press conference, Leon Draisaitl openly discussed his performance. He made two assists in Game 4 against the Panthers, an improvement from his previous scoreless games. Draisaitl also had three shots on goal and two hits in that game.

Draisaitl discussed his performance and praised the team's ability to perform under pressure.

"I mean, it's obviously been an up-and-down year, but for the most part, up after a tough start, of course. And, you know, I think we've shown that we're a very resilient group and we're good with our backs against the wall. So obviously, we like being in these situations," Draisaitl said.

He did very well in the early rounds, with 24 points in 12 games. However, he struggled later, scoring only six points in the last 11 games.

Talking about his performance, Draisaitl said he had mixed feelings about how he played in the Stanley Cup Final.

"We've done it a lot this year. And yeah, I feel very comfortable in myself, obviously not happy with the way I'm playing. You know, having not found my game, not having found my legs and yeah, just not the standard that I hold myself to, obviously. But yeah, excited to come into the series tonight," Draisaitl added.

The Oilers are behind 3-2 in the best-of-7 Stanley Cup Final series. Game 6 is scheduled for Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

Oilers' head coach Kris Knoblauch defends Leon Draisaitls finals performance

Leon Draisaitl has been the Edmonton Oiler's leading pointscorer on many nights. This is why he can't be judged only based on his performance in the Stanley Cup Final.

Edmonton Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch defended Draisaitl's recent performance.

“So often you look at the stat line and you just think, ‘He’s not playing well.’ … (But) the numbers don’t usually add up. It doesn’t tell the whole picture ... He’s been playing well," Knoblauch said (via edmontonjournal.com)

"Has it been what it sometimes is, what it was in the L.A. series or other times during the playoffs? Maybe not quite. But it’s still been pretty good. He’s been doing a lot of things for our team and just missing the goals and assists and that a lot has to do with the luck factor”

Heading into Game 6, Draisaitl will surely do his part for the Oilers.