Yahoo Sports Leon Draisaitl Holds Back In Post-Game Interview
"Not the start we wanted, obviously gotta fix that."
Perhaps they hoped the third time would be the charm, but it wasn't meant to be.
For the third consecutive game, the Edmonton Oilers put themselves behind the eight-ball by digging an early hole. Unlike the previous two games, they couldn't find a way out of this one.
The Oilers dropped a 3-2 decision to the Vancouver Canucks in a contest that got heated at the end. As Leon Draisaitl mentioned above, it was a rough start for the Oilers, and they need to fix that.
After 20 minutes, they were down 3-0 to the home team. It's safe to say that no team wants that kind of start.
It's also safe to say that the game didn't end as the Oilers wanted. Their captain Connor McDavid received a match penalty after delivering a cross-check to the head of the Canucks' Conor Garland. Draisaitl gave some thoughts on the heated conclusion to the game.
Connor McDavid snaps with a BRUTAL cross-check on Conor Garland at the end of the game 😳
McDavid received a match penalty and was ejected. pic.twitter.com/Y3BwVI0N8S— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) January 19, 2025
"It's hockey, it's intense. It's just the way it goes sometimes," Draisaitl revealed. "Obviously, (we) couldn't get one and then a little bit of fisticuffs, nothing major."
The forward gave the home team their flowers, crediting the Canucks with limiting the Oilers opportunities and that being a major contributor to the loss.
"(They) defended well, (we) had plenty of looks to tie it up," Draisaitl said. "They did a good job defending, and (we) couldn't get one more."
At this point in his post-game interview, Draisaitl is clearly not happy. Part of that is obvious: his team lost a game in which they mustered 15 shots, only registering three in the third period. Last night was not the night to ask an obvious question.
But then someone did.
He was asked if he thought that the team had generated enough chances in the final period of last night's game. Immediately after the question is asked, he smiles and gives a simple answer.
"Sure, yeah."
The entire post-game interview lasted a brisk 1:16.
Draisaitl may have given a more "pissy" response in the past. This was notably calm and collected despite his obvious disappointment in the game's end results.
This is a statement of Draisaitl's growth and maturity. He doesn't get too high when they win, and he doesn't get too low when they lose.
Now, they brush it off, move on, and prepare for the next game.
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