After he’d won Game 1 for the Oilers, Leon Draisaitl was in his familiar spot – sharing the glory with Connor McDavid.
The two of them were sat side by side in the postgame presser. Since McDavid’s heartbeat runs at about 25 bpm, Draisaitl has to match that energy. They went through a half-dozen warm-up questions – most for McDavid – before anyone thought it appropriate to ask Draisaitl about the overtime goal that turned the game.
“The work is done way before [I score],” Draisaitl said, rolling his shoulders uncomfortably. “It’s four really great plays in a row. Perrs [Corey Perry] with a great play over to Davo [McDavid], and then an amazing pass over and, obviously, I’m the beneficiary.”
While he spoke, McDavid stared blankly into the middle distance, lost in some private thought. Both men vibrate at the same, detached frequency. Were they each like that to begin with, or has one changed to accommodate the other? The second thing, …