Leon Draisaitl continues his own assault on the Oilers record books

It's fair to say the Oilers didn't make things easy for themselves on Tuesday night. Leading 3-1 just past the halfway mark of the third period, they allowed the New York Islanders to come back and take the game to overtime.

Fortunately for the fans inside Rogers Place, the Oilers remembered they were the better team in overtime and eventually won 4-3. As a result, they improved to 8-7-1 on the season and moved into a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

It comes as no surprise that Connor McDavid was at the heart of everything the Oilers did on the night, being involved in all four goals for the home team. He was awarded First Star of the Game, and he now stands just one point shy of joining the NHL's 1,000-point club.

Don't forget about Leon

However, McDavid isn't the only player working his way up the scoring charts and improving his position in the record books. Leon Draisaitl is also doing his bit, particularly when it comes to leaving a mark in Oilers history.

It was Draisaitl who opened the scoring for the Oilers, just 36 seconds into the second period. And there he was again in overtime, firing home to secure the valuable second point and be named Second Star of the Game.

As a result of his two goals, the five-time NHL All-Star moved into a tie for most goals in the NHL, at 12. He also leads the Oilers on the season, with 20 overall points and a +7 rating in 16 games.

An exclusive club with just three members

In respect of the Oilers' record books, Draisaitl's first goal of the game came on a power play. As per Sportsnet, this makes him the third player in Oilers history to reach 300 power play points.

This puts the 2020 Hart Memorial Trophy winner in esteemed company. Consider that the other two players are Wayne Gretzky, with 439 power play points, and McDavid with 337 (and counting).

As for power play goals specifically, Draisaitl already stands alone at the top in Oilers history. His two goals against the Islanders took him up to 148, 22 ahead of both Glen Anderson and Ryan Smyth in tied-second place.

PP slowly improving

There's no denying the Oilers' power play unit hasn't been its usual effective and deadly self so far in 2024-25. Even taking into account Tuesday night, they are only ranked 22nd in the NHL this season, with a 17.5 percent efficiency.

Still, Draisaitl can see the power play is slowly getting back to where the team would like it to be. Speaking to the media following the Islanders game, he said:

"Yes, it's getting better and better. I think our urgency is coming up, we're getting more sniffs around the net. We've just got to keep building, keep chipping away at it, continue to get back to what we're capable of and what we expect out of each other."

Deadly efficiency

What stood out in particular against the Islanders, was that the 29-year-old made the most of his chances. He only two shots on the night, but scored both times.

Too much can be made of analytics in professional sports, including hockey, but at times it's just better to rely in you instincts. Discussing his game-winning goal, Draisaitl said:

"I mean sometimes it's just in the moment, you're trying to read the situation. Personally I'm not overly big on the charts before games and stuff like that. I play in the moment and just thought I saw an opening there, and fortunately it went in."

Draisaitl also proved himself recently, by stepping up his leadership of the team during McDavid's three-game absence through injury. Among other things he produced six points and a +5 rating, helping the Oilers win two of the three contests without their captain.

The 2014 third overall draft pick is clearly a superior talent, who would be the number on player on the majority of NHL teams. He's already proving he deserved his long-term extension, and should continue to boost his position in a variety of categories in the Oilers' record books in the coming years.

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