How Leon Draisaitl's Line Saved The Edmonton Oilers In Game 1

Game 1 between the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks wasn't Leon Draisaitl's favorite playoff game, but it might go down as one of his most important.

While Connor McDavid was unable to find the scoresheet, Draisaitl had two big assists in his first game since sustaining a lower-body injury on March 15. The Oilers won 4-3 after blowing a 2-0 lead and even trailing at one point.

That said, he's still not at the level he wants to be just yet.

"I felt OK," Draisaitl said. "Certainly going to take a couple games to really be myself again and really trust myself again, but for a start, I thought it was OK."

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While his timing on the power play was off, Draisaitl was still able to adjust and find ways to be effective in all situations.

The trio's strong performance wasn't only tied to play in the offensive zone. The line also gave up no high-danger chances while generating five of their own at 5-on-5, according to naturalstattrick.com.

When Draisaitl returns to his standard, any line he's on will become even more dynamic.

Watch the video column up above for more about how Draisaitl and his line took the pressure off McDavid in Game 1.

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This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 9:40 AM.