The Edmonton Oilers beating the Los Angeles Kings in the post-season has been their routine for the past three years, as has Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid stepping up.
It shouldn’t shock many to see McDavid and Draisaitl ranking first and second in NHL playoff scoring after the series. But what does stand out is how their performance in this series compares to past years.
On a points-per-game basis, McDavid and Draisaitl had their best opening round in their careers.
McDavid’s 12 points in five games put him at a 2.40 points-per-game pace, breaking his previous opening-round high of 2.25 from the 2020 qualifying round.
Draisaitl finished the series averaging two points per game, which narrowly beats his 11 points in six games in last year’s first round. That still doesn’t come close to his 17 points in five games against the Calgary Flames in 2022, an average of 3.4 points per outing, but that came in the second round.
MCDAVID AND DRAISAITL. THAT IS ALL. pic.twitter.com/cAPTYoWUuV
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 2, 2024
Both players are now up to 87 points in 54 career playoff games for an average of 1.61 points per game. That’s a Mario Lemieux level of playoff scoring, as the Hockey Hall of Famer produced an average of 1.61 points through 107 post-season games. It’s also the second-best points-per-game average in NHL history among players with at least 10 games played, trailing Wayne Gretzky’s 1.81 over 208 games.
While the Kings failed to slow down the Oilers’ overall quick pace to stay in the series, they mainly couldn’t stop No. 97 and No. 29. They recorded a point in every game, including in Game 4’s 1-0 win.
Connor McDavid assisted on both of Leon Draisaitl's goals to boost his totals in the First Round to 1-11—12 (5 GP) and joined an elite list in the process. #StanleyCup
Catch him in action on @ESPN, @Sportsnet and @TVASports. #NHLStats: https://t.co/zVtyWjUNDt pic.twitter.com/Ypj1BQrmtA
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 2, 2024
McDavid also had three multi-point games, including five assists in Game 1, while Draisaitl had four multi-point outings.
On top of Draisaitl’s scoring, he was also effective at drawing penalties and setting up Edmonton’s otherworldly power play. His five drawn penalties rank him second in the league this post-season behind Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy’s six.
Leon Draisaitl in Round 1:
•5 games
•5 goals
•5 assists
•5 penalties drawn
•Oilers scored 18 goals in the 99:51 he played
•I had him down for 19 scoring chances taken, and 17 scoring chances set up— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) May 2, 2024
At age 28, Draisaitl’s ability to take his game to another level in the playoffs has elevated it to a level few players have reached.
“He’s a big man, and when he’s got his feet moving and when he’s playing hard on both sides of the puck, there’s not many guys better than him in the whole world,” McDavid told reporters post-game. “It’s impressive to watch, and he always seems to bring that game this time of year.”
As the Oilers now await either the Vancouver Canucks or the Nashville Predators in the second round, whoever their opponent is will take over the difficult task of finding ways to slow either down in the post-season.
Neither the Canucks nor the Predators have had to face the McDavid-and-Draisaitl Oilers in the playoffs so far. But in the regular season, they’ve been among the teams that have given up the most to both forwards on a per-game basis during their careers.
Against the Canucks, McDavid has averaged 1.60 points per game through 40 career contests, while Draisaitil has 1.16 through 45 games.
Against Nashville, McDavid has 1.82 points per game after 22 matchups, with Draisaitl sitting at 1.62 through 26 games.
The McDavid and Draisaitl Show added another chapter to its book against the Kings. If this is the year for another extended playoff run, all eyes will be on them to have another productive series. If this series was any indication, it shouldn’t be hard for them to continue.
The pressure is on whoever they face in the second round to crack the code if they want to advance to the Western Conference final.
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News Summary:
- McDavid and Draisaitl Record Personal Opening-Round Bests for the Oilers
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