It’s always touchy to criticize the only 50-goal, 100-point player in the NHL last season. But the reality is, it’s about the Stanley Cup, not the Art Ross Trophy. In his first real slump, EdmontonOilers' Leon Draisaitl knows it. (SportsnetSpec)
“Obviously I know I’ve been pretty lately. Sorry about my words, there…” —EDMONTON — There are various misconceptions that afflict all different types of hockey players, the most prevalent being the one about the superstar being left alone to do his thing offensively while everyone else should worry about defending.
As if being a leader means you only have to lead at one end of the ice. Or the hockey star, where teams combine for five goals a game, should be assessed the same as the basketball star, where they sometimes score 200 points in a game. Leon Draisaitl looks at the National Hockey League scoring race and sees himself in second place, but he looks at the standings and sees his team losing more than it is winning. At age 24, he knows that winning is more fun than filling the net, and sometimes helping the team doesn’t always mean scoring.“I’ve always been very good at assessing my own game,” Draisaitl said. “I have no problem saying that I haven’t been playing to my capabilities. But those stretches happen.
Draisaitl, Connor McDavid and Zack Kassian — when they’ve all been together as a line — can carry a team offensively. But the fact that only one of them is a plus player — and that’s Kassian — tells you that points in the scoring race and points in the standings are definitely not the same thing.Stream all 82 Oilers games this season with Sportsnet NOW.
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