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Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl playfully responded to coach Kris Knoblauch's "10 days" remark, indicating the team's confidence and belief.
Knoblauch confidently expressed his anticipation for the upcoming 10 days. He conveyed this sentiment just before his team was on the brink of elimination, trailing 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers.
Despite the challenging situation, the Edmonton Oilers delivered an impressive performance by defeating the Cats 8-1, staving off a series sweep and forcing Game 5. During a media interaction ahead of Tuesday's Game 5, Leon Draisaitl responded to a question about Knoblauch's "10 days" comment.
The 28-year-old German forward expressed that it would be disappointing if the coach lacked confidence in the group at this crucial moment. He emphasized that the team collectively believes in themselves, highlighting their resilience in overcoming challenges throughout the year.
He also said that the group has faced adversity but has consistently found ways to bounce back, leading to a strong sense of confidence within the team heading into the next challenge (0:37):
"I mean, it'd be a shame if he didn't have confidence in us by now, but yeah, I think we all believe we all have confidence in ourselves. ...We faced a lot of adversity this year and always found a way to kind of push through, so there's lots of confidence going on in our group."
Kris Knoblauch and his team are beaming with confidence and belief following their Game 4 victory. Despite the optimism, the Oilers are under immense pressure, with no room for mistakes.
On Tuesday, they face another do-or-die situation in the series, as the Panthers need only one win to lift their first Cup, holding a commanding 3-1 lead.
Leon Draisaitl and Oilers prepare to face improved Panthers
Draisaitl pointed out on Monday that they can take the good things from Game 4 and use them in their strategy. He noted that the Panthers will likely step up their game, so the Oilers are looking to elevate their performance as well.
"We can probably take the positives out of that (Game 4) and try to apply that again into our game plan," Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl said Monday (via NHL.com).
"But certainly, we know that they're going to be a little bit better, and we can be better in certain areas as well."
Among the playoff-leading scorers, four of the five players represent the Edmonton Oilers. Connor McDavid leads the pack with 38 points, while Leon Draisaitl closely follows with 30. The puck for Game 5 at Amerant Bank Arena drops at 8 p.m. ET.
