Oilers' Leon Draisaitl makes feelings known after securing Game 4 win over Stars

Leon Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers are one win away from reaching back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals after defeating the Dallas Stars 4-1 in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.

Draisaitl shared his thoughts after the win, noting that the team knew Dallas would be desperate. He described the game as a big momentum-shifting moment, saying the Oilers handled it decently despite being under pressure early on.

"We knew they were going to be desperate. It's a big momentum-shifting game," Draisaitl said postgame. "I thought we handled it okay. Obviously, we were underwater a little bit there, but handled it okay. Then we got our legs and started to play a little bit."

When asked about the challenge of potentially closing out the series in the next game, Draisaitl acknowledged it would be really hard, as the Stars would be desperate, but emphasized that the Oilers need to match that intensity and are looking to close it out.

"Really hard. They're going to be desperate. We know that, but we got to obviously match that. Looking to close it out," he added.

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There is potential for a repeat of the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers. Both teams are currently leading their respective Conference Finals series 3-1.

In 2024, the Oilers trailed 3-0 in the Finals but pushed the series to a decisive Game 7, where the Panthers emerged victorious to claim the Stanley Cup.

Leon Draisaitl shines as the Oilers down Stars in Game 4

On Tuesday, the Edmonton Oilers took a 3-1 series lead after defeating the Dallas Stars 4-1 in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals at Rogers Place.

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Leon Draisaitl opened the scoring for the Oilers after putting them ahead through a power-play goal at 11:23 into the first period. Jason Robertson scored for the Stars on the power play to tie it 1-1 at 6:57 of the second period. This was the only goal the Stars managed to score during the game.

Corey Perry then made it 2-1 for the Oilers, marking the second power-play goal for the hosts in the game. With less than three minutes remaining, empty-net goals from Kasperi Kapanen and Adam Henrique clinched the win for Edmonton.

The Edmonton Oilers will aim to close out the series when they travel to American Airlines Center for Game 5 on Thursday. The puck drops at 8 p.m. ET.

About the author

Abhishek is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of sports reporting experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi. He became a fan of ice hockey after watching NHL fight videos on YouTube, which led to him professionally writing about the sport and his continued interest in all things hockey.

A fan of the Boston Bruins, Abhishek considers their incredible comeback win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 playoffs as the most iconic moment in the NHL. His admiration for the six-time Stanley Cup winners also comes from the team’s storied history, distinctive black and gold uniform and their success in the sport. His all-time favorite NHL players are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, for their ability to perform at the highest level consistently.

Abhishek ensures his reporting is fair and balanced by being well-researched in his details, which he expects to be relevant, up-to-date and in line with ethical standards. His specialties are doing detailed match analysis and covering fan reactions.

Abhishek enjoys music, traveling and going on walks with his three German Shepherds in his free time, along with learning about horticulture.

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Edited by Abhishek Dilta