Okay, the Edmonton Oilers superstar forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and really the entirety of the Oilers team, has yet to get it going in 2024-25. However, with a 3-2 win, on Leon Draisaitl‘s 29th birthday vs the Detroit Red Wings, a game that he just happened to register points on all three Oiler goals, including the overtime winner, maybe the superhero, one-two combo of Draisaitl and McDavid is finally on a roll in 2024-25. Perhaps it is unsurprising, given their slow start to the 2023-24 campaign as well.
An OT winner for the birthday boy Leon Draisaitl 🎉
🎥 @NHL pic.twitter.com/INB70cSThw
— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) October 28, 2024
Leon Draisaitl 29th Birthday Highlights vs Red Wings
It is almost surreal watching the combination of McDavid and Draisaitl, much less write about them. The way the two players specifically, can take over and control games, really is something to marvel at when watching. When head coach Kris Knoblauch needed a goal in the third period, the Evan Bouchard blast from the point was set up from back-to-back, double shifts of the two on the same line. Furthermore, the way they dominate goes back through repeated past performances, such as when we witnessed how McDavid took over the Stanley Cup Final from Games 3 to 5 in particular. Alternatively, the dominance was on full display during Draisaitl’s 13 goals in 12 games in the 2022-23 postseason.
It is interesting to consider, that what really get McDavid and Draisaitl going is the other players in the lineup. Ultimately, McDavid needs to pick who replaces him, like in the third period in tonight’s game against Detroit. If those players are able to go out there and sustain the pressure, then the Oilers captain feels the pressure if off at some level.
It’s About the Parts of the Sum
In terms of the surrounding figures, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins jumps out as someone that is so important to the Oilers success. Nugent-Hopkins only scored his still only goal of the season last game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. This is a guy who scored 104 points and is someone the Oilers expect to produce. Luckily, the top-end skill should have a bit more depth this season with the likes of Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson, but you’d like Nuge to be firing on all cylinders.
Zach Hyman is another player that needs to get going. He is a player that can rely a lot on rhythm. It can be difficult to get your hands to get going in an NHL season. Furthermore, we seen it tonight on a shot that bounced off Moritz Seider and landed almost perfectly for Hyman to whack in the empty net. However, Hyman was looking the other way and missed it. This chemistry between the line of Hyman, Nugent-Hopkins, and McDavid has been difficult to get going thus far. Unfortunately, when Knoblauch is forced to pair McDavid and Draisaitl out there together, it makes it more difficult to build the chemistry with the other players.
What Enormous Turnover They’ve Had
If we jump back to focus on Draisaitl, he has had a major factor influencing his performance in 2024-25. In general, throughout the lineup, it has seen significant turnover year-over-year among the forward group. This is especially relevant in that it directly impacts Draisaitl’s linemates. Between players like Jeff Skinner, Viktor Arvidsson, Vasily Podkolzin, Ryan McLeod, Warren Foegele, and Evander Kane, either in or out of the team since last year, Draisaitl played a good chunk of his time with these players. Again, the chemistry would be naturally extremely difficult to build.
However, just like tonight, the Oilers best players are what makes them so good. The way they dominate games, and night-after-night, truly is spectacular to bare witness. Just like tonight, after the first period, and the Oilers were being outshot 13-5, then things changed. The Oilers took control of the hockey game outshooting Detroit 17-7 in the third period. This was eventually capped off by the birthday boy tipping one off his paddle in overtime for the win.
Main Photo Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
