In every scenario of the Stanley Cup Final, Draisaitl is fourth in the team’s shot attempts (16) and third in the team’s shots on goal (9). He has had opportunities on an Oilers power play that is currently 0-for-10 in the series, but the Panthers’ excellent defense has limited him to two shots on goal and four attempts at 5-on-5. With 21 giveaways overall, he leads the club.
“It’s not too often Leon’s held off the score sheet like he has been, but I think he has been contributing,” Knoblauch said. “He doesn’t hide anything. He doesn’t make excuses. So often players make excuses like, ‘Well, things haven’t gone well because of this and I’ve been unfortunate,’ all that, but Leon takes a lot of responsibility. He’s been pretty good from pretty much every game that I’ve seen him.”
Most of the series, we feel like we’ve held the play. “I believe that this lessens the difficulty of our current situation,” forward Connor Brown remarked. “The unique thing about our club over the year, we’ve shown, when we are backed into a corner, that’s when we feel more comfortable and that’s when we seem to play our best.”
In an effort to instill a rally mentality in the Oilers following their Game 3 defeat, former defenseman Duncan Keith addressed the team following the game and related his own tale of overcoming a 3-0 deficit to force a Game 7 in the 2011 Western Conference quarterfinals with his Chicago Blackhawks.
“He was conversing with the athletes. Going around, nothing formal,” said Knoblauch
