Leon Draisaitl had four assists and a message for the upstart Anaheim Ducks on Monday night that the regular season is just the beginning.

After the Edmonton Oilers ended Anaheim’s seven-game winning streak with a 7–4 victory, Draisaitl offered measured praise for the Ducks’ bright future, but also questioned whether they’re ready for what comes next.

“It gets harder from here on out. Then you get into the playoffs and it gets really hard, right? That’s where you measure yourself,” Draisaitl said. “No disrespect by any means, but it’s good getting off to a good start and being in a playoff spot right now, but it’s only going to get harder. We’ll see if they’re able to handle that pressure.”

The comments carried extra weight coming from a player who’s been through the crucible himself. When a reporter noted the Ducks reminded them of Edmonton from five or six years ago young and skilled, Draisaitl didn’t disagree.

“Yeah, for sure. Obviously a lot of fresh legs, a lot of enthusiasm, lots of skill. A team that has a bright future for sure,” he said.

But his caveat was clear that regular season success doesn’t always translate when the stakes rise.

Ekholm’s historic night powers Oilers

The victory itself was a statement game for Edmonton’s depth. Defenceman Mattias Ekholm scored his first career NHL hat trick on the night while fellow blueliners Darnell Nurse and Spencer Stastney (his first as an Oiler) also found the net. Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman rounded out the scoring.

Edmonton’s defencemen scored four goals in just 3:49 during the second period completely flipping the game’s momentum.

Draisaitl was effusive in his praise for Ekholm. “He’s a great player all around. He knows when to jump into the rush. He’s extremely smart. Obviously he’s got a bomb of a shot and he knows when to use it, and his placement is elite,” Draisaitl said. “Nice to see him get a couple. I’m very happy for him.”

Run-and-gun not the plan

The German superstar’s four assists saw the kind of secondary scoring Edmonton has been generating lately, though he acknowledged the back-to-back high-scoring games aren’t necessarily the blueprint moving forward.

“Certainly not the way that we want to have that mindset each and every night,” Draisaitl admitted when asked about consecutive shootouts.

“But you’ve got to win in different ways every night, and sometimes it’s two games in a row of high scoring and finding a way to score more than the other team.”

For Anaheim, Mikael Granlund scored three power play goals and Alex Killorn added one, but it wasn’t enough to extend their impressive streak. The Ducks entered the game riding their longest winning streak in years and showing they might be ahead of schedule in their rebuild.

Draisaitl’s candid answers are also a reminder for Edmonton that the regular season is merely the way forward. The Oilers know that better than most as a team that’s been to the Stanley Cup Final and understands the difference between January hockey and June hockey.

Whether the Ducks take it as bulletin board material or veteran wisdom, they’ll get their answer when the calendar turns to April.

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