Oilers coach calls McDavid and Draisaitl’s playoff performances remarkable
CTV
Kris Knoblauch is five months into watching Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl go to work.
Kris Knoblauch is five months into watching Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl go to work.
The Oilers rookie head coach witnessed the dynamic duo drag Edmonton back from a disastrous start to the regular season, and they've elevated their game even further this spring.
McDavid leads the playoffs with nine points, joining Wayne Gretzky as the only players in NHL history with eight assists through the first three games of a post-season.
Draisaitl, meanwhile, has three goals and four assists to sit tied with teammate Zach Hyman for second in NHL playoff points. The Oilers, who lead their first-round series with the Los Angeles Kings 2-1, look ahead to Sunday's Game 4.
"For them to show up and play as well as they have in the playoffs, it's quite significant," Knoblauch said Saturday of McDavid and Draisaitl. "It's not an overstatement to say that is remarkable."
Knoblauch replaced Jay Woodcroft behind Edmonton's bench Nov. 12 when the Oilers ranked second-last in the NHL. The team turned its season around with 97 points in its next 69 games under Knoblauch, with McDavid and Draisaitl driving that comeback.
Playoff production is hardly new for Edmonton's pillars.
