Draisaitl looks to find game in SCF: 'Obviously [I'm] not happy'
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Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl isn't happy with his performance after five games of the Stanley Cup Final.
The 6-foot-2 centre stepped onto hockey's biggest stage as one of the NHL's top scorers in the playoffs with 10 goals and 28 points in 18 games, but he has only recorded two assists through the first five games of the Final .
"Obviously [I'm] not happy with the way I'm playing," Draisaitl told reporters prior to Game 6 on Friday. "I haven't found my game, having found my legs. [I'm just not the standard that I hold myself to obviously."
Draisaitl has been a pillar for the Oilers offensively for the majority of his 10-season NHL career. He finished second to captain Connor McDavid in scoring in the regular season with 41 goals and 106 points and has been a key contributor in previous years, including winning a Hart Trophy, Art Ross Trophy, and Ted Lindsay Award in 2020.
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch recognizes that the play of his star centreman hasn't been up to the standard that he's used to, but still feels he's bringing something to the table every night even if he's not scoring.
"I've seen Leon play better than he has, but I think he's contributing a lot and I think he's harder on himself than he should be," Knoblauch said on Friday. "I think yesterday was a good day of practice. He looked like himself and I'm expecting him to play a good game tonight.
Draisaitl last put the puck in the net during the team's Game 4 victory over the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final. The seven-game goalless drought matches the longest goalless drought of the season from back in October.
While the German is concerned about his lack of production, his main focus is on the Oilers winning Game 6 to keep the series alive and force a winner-take-all Game 7 in Sunrise, Florida.
"I think we're all human. Of course you think about it, but we're in no position to make that a priority," said Draisaitl. "We've got to win a game at home tonight and get this thing back to Florida and then it's a one-game series. Your focus is on this one game tonight and not what's going to happen four or five days from now."