NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Edmonton Oilers at Vegas Golden Knights - Source: Imagn — NHL: Leon Draisaitl - Source: Imagn

Leon Draisaitl takes veiled dig at Leafs, Flames fans; credits Canadians backing Oilers heading into conference finals

Modified May 19, 2025 23:04 GMT

Leon Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers are feeling good ahead of Round 3.

Edmonton has been off since Wednesday after dusting the Pacific Division-winning Vegas Golden Knights in just five games. The Oilers have been sitting back and watching other teams around the NHL battle to close out their own second-round series as they prepare for the third round.

On Saturday night, the Dallas Stars took down the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 in overtime, finalizing a Western Conference Finals matchup with the Oilers for the second straight year. One night later, the Florida Panthers destroyed the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-1 in a Game 7 to conclude Round 2.

It leaves the Edmonton Oilers as the lone Canadian team remaining in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and Leon Draisaitl made a playful dig when asked about that on Monday. The Edmonton Oilers shared his full media availability on YouTube.

"I think, you know, obviously there's going to be some Flames fans or Toronto fans that probably aren't cheering for us, but for the, for the biggest part, I thought that a lot, a lot of Canada was cheering for us," Draisaitl said (4:45).

Leon Draisaitl has racked up 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 11 games through the first two rounds of the 2025 postseason.

Leon Draisaitl is unfazed by the pressure

We've seen with the Toronto Maple Leafs just how difficult it can be to play in a Canadian market in the NHL.

Draisaitl was asked about the pressures of playing in Canada and whether the Oilers can handle it. OilerAlert shared his response on X (formerly Twitter).

"Yeah, of course. The pressure is higher here, of course. Just through media, fans, you know, the expectations. It's just the way it is. It's a hockey country; it starts with hockey, and it ends with hockey in this country. I don't know if teams feel that they get under pressure with that. ... but we can handle it," Draisaitl said.

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Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, and the Edmonton Oilers have shown that the pressure has no effect on their play, the way it's done with other teams.

They will continue to perform through it all in Game 1 of their third-round series against the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night. The puck drops at 8 p.m. EST at American Airlines Center.

About the author

Jackson Weber is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with a Bcomm degree in Business and Sport Management from the University of Guelph.

Jackson has grown up as a lifelong Pittsburgh Penguins fan. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are his all-time favorite players. Watching the Penguins win the Stanley Cup three times is an experience that Jackson will never forget. Years later, you realize how rare it is to see your favorite team win even once, so three championships were just incredible.

When not watching, playing, or writing about sports, Jackson loves to cook and is passionate about health and nutrition.

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