If there's ever a doubt that hockey is a team sport, look no further than the Edmonton Oilers. Despite having the top two players in the NHL, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers were bounced from the playoffs in the second round with a 5-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights Sunday night.
Draisaitl, who after scoring six goals in the first two games of the series accounted for one point in Games 3-6, couldn’t believe another promising season ended in failure.
“It’s tough to find the words right now,” Draisaitl said. “When you start a season, you’re in it to win it. We’re at that stage. If you don’t complete that, it just feels like a failure or a wasted year almost. It hurts.”
The dynamic combo of McDavid and Draisaitl, who finished as the top two scorers in the league in three of the last four seasons, was again not enough for the Oilers to make a push to the Stanley Cup Finals. Edmonton has made it past the second round just once with McDavid and Draisaitl on the roster.
The individual accolades will continue. McDavid will soon officially win his third league MVP, three years after Draisaitl won the award. Yet it'd be logical to think those two would trade in some of their individual success for that of the team.
It doesn't get much worse than getting swept in the conference finals, something the Oilers experienced last season. The heartbreak of a season-ending loss though, especially in a season that looked destined for a deep playoff run, stings a little more for Leon Draisaitl and company this time around.
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