Another bitter disappointment: Leon Draisaitl’s dream has been dashed once again
The German international’s Edmonton Oilers were eliminated in the first round of the NHL play-offs. In Game 6 of the best-of-seven series, the Canadian franchise, which also features Joshua Samanski, lost 2–5 to the Anaheim Ducks, leaving Anaheim with an insurmountable 4–2 series lead.
Samanski provided an assist for Connor Murphy’s 16th-minute goal, cutting the deficit to 1–2 for Edmonton. Draisaitl then set up Wassili Podkolsin’s 42nd-minute strike to make it 2–4. The Oilers had last fallen to the Ducks in the 2017 second round (3–4). That remains Anaheim’s most recent playoff win; next, they will meet either the Utah Mammoth, featuring national team player John-Jason Peterka, or the Vegas Golden Knights (series score 2-3).
“It always hurts, it’s painful, but Anaheim simply deserved it. At the end of the day, they were just better than us,” said Draisaitl. “We never really found what it takes to go all the way. It wasn’t good enough. As much as it hurts—they were simply better.”
Oilers captain Connor McDavid agreed: “We’ve been chasing consistency all season and still haven’t found it in the playoffs,” he said. “It’s tough. We were an average team all season. An average team with high expectations – you’re bound to be disappointed.”
