The Edmonton Oilers have been in great shape for weeks. Now the Canadians around Leon Draisaitl have qualified for the playoffs – the Cologne native scored a hat trick.
The German ice hockey star Leon Draisaitl has qualified with the Edmonton Oilers for the playoffs in the North American professional league NHL.
In the convincing 6:0 (1:0, 3:0, 2:0) against the Anaheim Ducks, Draisaitl shone with a hat trick. For the third time in his NHL career, the 27-year-old international has reached the mark of 50 goals this season and 120 points for the first time. In the category, he is only behind his teammate Connor McDavid in the league.
The Oilers moved up to second in the Western Conference thanks to their ninth win in the past ten games. The top six teams are separated by just five points. Behind them in seventh place are the Seattle Kraken around German national goalkeeper Philipp Grubauer. The Kraken lost 4-1 to the Los Angeles Kings without Grubauer in goal.
Old man back in the blues goal
The St. Louis Blues have almost no chance of making the playoffs after losing 6-1 at the Nashville Predators. The German goalkeeper Thomas Greiss was back in goal for the Blues for the first time since mid-March and saved 29 of the 35 shots on his goal.
Nico Sturm recorded two assists in his 200th NHL game in his San Jose Sharks’ 7-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Lukas Reichel scored for the sixth time in the best ice hockey league in the world in his Chicago Blackhawks 6-3 against the New Jersey Devils. Sturm and Reichel are at the bottom of the table in the Western Conference.
There are only two wildcard spots left for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. The in-form Buffalo Sabers around John-Jason Peterka stay in the race after a 6:3 at the Philadelphia Flyers, now have four points but also two games less than the Florida Panthers in eighth place. The Panthers won 7-0 at the Columbus Blue Jackets thanks in part to four goals from Carter Verhaeghe.
On the other hand, the Ottawa Senators around Tim Stützle are looking for another season without a playoff. The Senators lost 3-0 to the Toronto Maple Leafs and are now six points behind the Panthers.