LAS VEGAS — When last we spoke with the National Hockey League’s leading scorer, he was sour on himself after a poor outing in a 5-1 loss at Los Angeles.
“If your supposedly best players play the way I did,” said Leon Draisaitl Thursday, “you’re not gonna go very far.”
So Draisaitl moved on to Vegas, the words of his father Peter bouncing around inside his head.
“It’s the one lesson my Dad always taught me. It’s all about how you respond,” said Draisaitl, who was all-world in a 4-2 win here Saturday. “Good players, they respond the game after.
“It happens that you have a bad game — every player in the league has them. The other night was not my night… but I was ready to respond. I thought our line played a solid game.”
If you just looked at the score sheet you might say that the line of Draisaitl (three assists), Connor McDavid (two goals) and Zack Kassian (two assists) just sashayed into T-Mobile Arena and handled the Golden Knights all by themselves. That they carried the team — again.
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If you were here however, you saw a Vegas team that tried to bludgeon their opponent right out of the rink. There was a shift in the first period where the fourth line — including physical wingers William Carrier and Ryan Reaves — pounded the Oilers for 45 seconds, claiming the momentum Edmonton had earned by scoring the game’s first goal.
The crowd was going wild. White, blue and orange uniforms were flying everywhere. Vegas was taking over, the way they do here.
Edmonton could have gone either way over the next few minutes, and they chose the preferred way. In fact, that shift by Vegas’ fourth line served to engage the Oilers further in what became playoff-style hockey, one of the most entertaining, physical games this team has played all season long.
The building, the teams, the crowd… There aren’t a lot of better nights in the NHL than a Saturday off the Vegas strip.
“I don’t even know what they’re cheering for half the time,” chuckled Oilers goalie Mike Smith. “But it’s loud, and it’s fun to be a part of.”
Like Draisaitl, Smith rebounded from being pulled in L.A., stopping 25 of 27 shots, and flawlessly handling the puck against a hard-forechecking opponent.
How did he use that 5-1 loss?
“As motivation. Motivation to be better,” Smith said. “Last game is over and done with, but coming out of it you’re not happy with the way it went. Me personally, I’m not happy with the way I played. It’s nice to get back in there, earn the confidence back, play well and get a win.
“That was as complete a game as we’ve played this season.”
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Truly, this was the kind of team Edmonton is going to be this season, before they can add some depth scoring down the road. The big line put on a tour de force, Markus Granlund’s line grounded out a goal, the quiet Finn’s second in three games, and the league-leading powerplay continued to dominate.
That PP unit scored the crucial 4-2 goal at 2:11 of the third period, pinning the Golden Knights in their zone until Draisaitl picked a puck out of the pile, spun behind the net and put a signature backhand pass on McDavid’s tape for a one-timer.
“They scored a key goal at a key time for us. That’s what good powerplays do,” said Oilers coach Dave Tippett, who has dispelled any pre-season fears that his style may impinge on a pair of artisans like No. 29 and 97.
The Oilers powerplay is operating at 31.5 per cent, second in the league behind Tampa. It is a lethal unit, with pucks spending minimal time on each player’s tape, and multiple options that leave a PK guessing.
“They have a little bit of structure, but they play best when they ad lib,” said Tippett. “As (assistant coach) Glen Gulutzan says, they play road hockey. And when they play road hockey, they’re dangerous.”
McDavid and Draisaitl entered the game with identical stat lines of 16-28-44, tied atop the National Hockey League scoring race on Nov. 24, and allowing us to wonder: Could they possibly fight it out for the Art Ross Trophy all season long?
“A great bounce-back game for our line,” McDavid said. “We weren’t good enough in L.A.”
The last teammates who finished one-two in a full season was Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr in 1995-95. That is also the last duo to have 45 points apiece through a team’s opening 25 games of the season.
What they’re doing is starting to look historic, in the big picture. And in the small picture, who doesn’t want to hop the boards after the McDavid line comes off?
“When those guys play like that, everyone plays better,” said Smith. “They’re the engine that runs our team. When they’re playing up to their capabilities — in all areas of the ice — everyone sees it, and everyone just plays better.
“That’s how good they are.”
And the coach? Sometimes you just have to know when to open the gate.
“You just get a hunch,” Tippett said. “When they feel like they didn’t play very well last game, the chances are pretty good that you’re going to get a good game the next game. So might as well start ‘em, and let ’em go.
“That’s what we did tonight.”
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