Leon Draisaitl scored twice for the Edmonton Oilers in their 7-2 loss to Toronto on Saturday, pushing his total to 12 goals and extending a remarkable run of form. It was Draisaitl’s third consecutive two goal game and extended his goal scoring streak to six games, during which he has scored nine times. With his league leading 12th goal, Draisaitl tied Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov for the NHL goals lead, a position that reflects not a hot week but a sustained level of finishing that few players in the league can match. Edmonton lost the game by five goals, and still its top centre produced, which is both the promise and the problem of this Oilers team.
A streak built on more than finishing
A six game goal streak with nine goals is not built on luck. It requires positioning, timing, linemates who create space, and a player who arrives at the right spot at the right moment, game after game. Draisaitl’s second goal on Saturday came on the power play, his first from open play, and both reflected the same quality: a scorer who does not need many chances to convert the ones he gets. Connor McDavid, with two assists on Saturday, extended his own season opening points streak to 11 games, giving him 33 points in that span, and the combination of McDavid’s playmaking and Draisaitl’s finishing is the most productive partnership in hockey right now. The Oilers dropped to 8-2-1 despite that partnership, because Toronto scored from six different players and outscored Edmonton 4-1 in the third period.
What the streak needs next
Edmonton hosts the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night, and the question is whether Draisaitl’s streak can survive a game in which opponents will focus even more attention on stopping him. Streaks of this kind usually end not because the scorer loses form but because opponents adjust, double covering him, blocking his shooting lanes and forcing other Oilers to beat them. That adjustment is also Edmonton’s opportunity: if opponents overcommit to Draisaitl, space opens for the rest of the lineup, and the Oilers’ season will be decided by whether that space is used. Draisaitl’s 12 goals lead the league, and his streak is a personal achievement worth celebrating. But the Oilers need it to become a team achievement, and that means goals from players who are not named Draisaitl or McDavid, starting on Monday night.
