Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl likes the way his club is rounding into shape as the Stanley Cup Playoffs approach.
"We know when we play our game, and we stick to what we're good at, we're a really hard team to beat," Draisaitl said Tuesday. "We obviously have a lot of offense, but if we stick to the way we want to compete defensively and stick to our details ... I wouldn't want to play us in the first round or in the playoffs in general."
He added: "It is important, with that being said, that we do stick to our details and take pride in doing the little things right."
The Oilers have been one of the league's top teams since Jay Woodcroft replaced Dave Tippett as head coach on Feb. 10. Since the switch, Edmonton sits third in the NHL with 41 points across 29 games, and have seen improvements in many five-on-five metrics over that span:
| Statistic | Total (league rank) |
|---|---|
| GF% | 56.72% (7th) |
| CF% | 53.88% (7th) |
| xGF% | 53.91% (8th) |
| SF% | 53.64% (7th) |
| SV% | .920 (12th) |
(Analytics source: Evolving-Hockey)
The turnaround under Woodcroft has helped the Oilers' playoff odds jump from a coin flip to a near certainty. With 90 points and nine games remaining, Edmonton holds a 98.3% chance to qualify for the postseason entering Tuesday's clash with the Minnesota Wild, according to MoneyPuck.
The Oilers also have a strong chance to secure home-ice advantage in the first round, currently holding a four-point cushion on the Los Angeles Kings for second place in the Pacific Division with a game in hand.
Draisaitl, as expected, has played a central role in the Oilers' surge. The 2020 MVP is up to 101 points this season, and has 17 goals and 20 assists since the coaching change.
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