Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl played hero with his overtime goal in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday, but he directed the spotlight toward his team's resilience afterward.
The Oilers trailed the Florida Panthers 3-1 in the second period and were behind by one to start the final frame before rallying to an impressive 4-3 win. The victory marked Edmonton's fourth this postseason when losing entering the third.
"We've done it all year, especially in the postseason," Draisaitl told Sportsnet's Gene Principe. "We stick with it, and we're never going to quit."
Draisaitl credited Edmonton's depth, which played a significant role in the win. Kasperi Kapanen notched two assists, while Viktor Arvidsson chipped in with a goal.
"They've done it all run," Draisaitl told TNT's Darren Pang. "Our depth has won us a crazy amount of hockey games in the last couple of months here."
The Panthers are the league's standard-bearers when it comes to closing out victories, entering this year's final 31-0 in the playoffs under head coach Paul Maurice when leading after the first period, according to NHL Public Relations.
Draisaitl's overtime tally was his third of the playoffs, matching an NHL record with four others, including teammate Corey Perry (2017) and opponent Matthew Tkachuk (2023).
While Draisaitl praised his teammates, Oilers captain Connor McDavid made sure to give his running mate his flowers postgame.
"You can't put a number on it," McDavid said of Draisaitl's value to the team. "He's invaluable. So many good things. Clutch, faceoffs; you name it, he does it. He doesn't get enough respect or credit for his defensive abilities. When he's dug in, there's not many better, maybe nobody better."
McDavid (28 points) and Draisaitl (27 points) are the top two scorers in the playoffs this spring.
Game 2 is scheduled for Friday in Edmonton.
