Ryan Kennedy and Michael Traikos give their first impressions of this all-Canadian second-round matchup. Leon Draisaitl [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA2MzEzNzU4MjM3MTQwMTQ0/usatsi_23224044_168400847_lowres.jpg] Leon Draisaitl Add a muscle cramp to the growing list of eyebrow-raising injuries that have popped up in the Stanley Cup playoffs. So far, we’ve also had a migraine, a stomach flu and whatever it was that kept Joseph Woll out of Game 7 for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Of course, the culprit behind what kept Leon Draisaitl off the ice for a chunk of the third period on Wednesday may have been something more severe than a muscle cramp and some equipment issues. But it’s the playoffs, so we won’t know if the Edmonton Oilers center was really suffering from back spasms or bruised ribs, as some internet doctors suggested on Twitter, or if he truly was the victim of a wardrobe malfunction, as his coach insisted. “Nothing at all,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said of the concern regarding Draisaitl's status. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/latest-news/kris-knoblauch-reveals-leon-draisaitls-injury-status] “Just some cramping. Between cramping and some equipment issues, that’s why his ice time went down.” Either way, Draisaitl's absence was part of the reason why the Oilers managed to blow a 4-1 lead in the third period to the Vancouver Canucks in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinal on Wednesday. Draisaitl's last shift in the second period came around the 12-minute mark when he briefly stepped on the ice and skated a bit before leaving for the dressing room. He returned in the third period. But with Draisaitl gone and then not looking like himself, Vancouver erased a three-goal deficit and won. "If he's showing that outward pain, then he's hurt, because he doesn't like to come off that way at all," said Sportsnet analyst and former Oilers winger Luke Gazdic. Indeed, it’s likely going to take more than a cramp to keep Draisaitl out of the series. Two years ago, he suffered a high-ankle sprain in the first-round series against Los Angeles and finished the playoffs with 24 points in the following 10 games. In the first round, Draisaitl took a nasty spill after coming into contact with Kings forward Pierre-Luc Dubois [https://twitter.com/TyGuy9/status/1785934477585490207], which some are also speculating could be affecting Draisaitl. Whatever the reason, the fact that he might not be 100 percent is not a good sign for an Oilers team with all the tools for a deep run. While Hart Trophy finalist Connor McDavid leads the playoffs with 13 points and Rocket Richard Trophy finalist Zach leads the playoffs with nine goals, Draisaitl is a significant factor of the team’s offense. Draisaitl, who somewhat quietly scored 41 goals and 106 points this season, is tied for second in playoff scoring with 12 points. That includes a pair of assists in Game 1 against the Canucks, despite logging just 16 minutes and 43 seconds of ice time. “Obviously, lots going on on the bench,” McDavid said. “But Leo’s fine.” Draisaitl better be fine because with the Canucks holding McDavid to no shots in Game 1, the Oilers will need all the help they can get in Game 2.
