DRAISAITL JOINS ELITE COMPANY WITH FIVE-POINT PERFORMANCE
Leon Draisaitl 3 goals, 2 assists for 5 points established career highs for goals and points in a game (regular-season and playoffs) to become the fifth different player in Oilers franchise history to record at least five points in a playoff game, joining Wayne Gretzky (9x), Jari Kurri (3x), Glenn Anderson (2x) and Paul Coffey (2x).
Draisaitl became the first player in franchise playoff history to record five points in a game with the Oilers facing elimination. The last NHL player to record five points in any playoff game was Derick Brassard, who tallied 3-2—5 on the road to help the Rangers force Game 7 in the 2015 Conference Finals against the Lightning.
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Draisaitl became the ninth player in NHL history to record a hat trick and five or more points with his team facing elimination. The others to achieve the feat at home: Canadiens forward Maurice Richard (Game 5 of 1945 SF vs. TOR), Red Wings forward Norm Ullman (Game 6 of 1964 SF vs. CHI), Maple Leafs forward Darryl Sittler (Game 6 of 1976 QF vs. PHI), Bruins forward Ken Linseman (Game 4 of 1985 DSF vs. MTL) and Red Wings forward Johan Franzen (Game 4 of 2010 CSF vs. SJS).
Draisaitl became just the third Oilers player in the past 25 years to score a playoff hat trick, joining Doug Weight and Bill Guerin who achieved the feat in Games 3 and 4, respectively, of the 2000 Conference Quarterfinals vs. Dallas. Draisaitl (21 years, 192 days) became the second-youngest player in franchise history to score a hat trick in a playoff game, after Gretzky did so twice as a 20-year-old in the 1981 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Draisaitl, who collected one goal and three assists in Game 1 at Anaheim, has compiled 5-8—13 in this series and 13-13—26 in 18 career games against the Ducks (regular-season and playoffs). He became the first Oilers player to record 13 points in a single playoff series since Bernie Nicholls (5-8—13 in 6 GP) in the 1992 Division Semifinals vs. Los Angeles Kings.
Nashville, who compiled 94 points in 2016-17, became the first club since 2010 (PHI and MTL) to reach the Conference Finals despite finishing the regular season with the fewest points among playoff teams . . . Nashville has recorded four of its five series-clinching victories on home ice . . . Fourteen of 22 games in the Second Round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (63.6%) have featured a game-winning goal scored in either the third period (9) or overtime (5) . . . Twenty-six of 64 games this postseason (40.6%) have seen the winning team overcome a deficit of at least one goal . . . Ducks forward Rickard Rakell scored for the fourth consecutive game (4-1—5) . . . The start time of Game 6 of the Second Round series between the Senators and Rangers has been set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 9 . . . ICYMI: Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom and Penguins forward Carl Hagelin were mic’d up for Game 5 of their Second Round series . . . Predators forward Kevin Fiala, who was injured in Game 1 of their Second Round series, waved the rally towel before puck drop in Nashville.
* Information provided via NHL Press Release
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