“I think Lyon is not only a great player, but also a great person. That’s why I’m a big fan of him as well,” says assistant coach for the Los Angeles Kings of the German press agency. And then later pushes: “But it’s on hold for a few weeks now.”

Because the Kings certainly qualified for the NHL playoffs – the 2018 Olympic sensation Sturm with a silver in Pyeongchang for the first time since switching from the German Ice Hockey Federation to the NHL – and the first round will meet the Dreitel and Edmonton Oilers.

Oilers with domestic rights

It doesn’t matter what happens in the remaining games of the main round until Friday. With a 5–1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Oilers finished second in the Pacific Division and had a home advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Kings were able to sit back and watch from the Seattle hotel as the chasers lost to the Dallas Stars in the Vegas Golden Knights penalty shootout and failed to finish third on the table. The Oilers’ duel with the Kings, Germany’s best ice hockey professional, with his predecessor as the German record goalscorer in the NHL, now on the rival’s coaching bench, is perfect. It is starting from next week.

“The goal is to win the Stanley Cup. We’re glad we’re in it. A step has been taken,” said Dreitel shortly after qualifying over the weekend. It’s the title that’s missing in North America, the one that drives him and that matters more than any award for his years of outstanding performance as a player. He was already the MVP, the first German and the best scorer in the league. The Cologne player has already crossed the 100 mark this season. Only in the playoffs it hasn’t worked out at all with the Oilers. The traditional Canadian team never advanced past the second round.

Hurricane with respect for the Oilers duo

“Leon is only 26 – if you haven’t won the Stanley Cup by then, that’s fine too. If he was 33 or 34 it would have been even worse. Leon will make his way, whether it’s in Edmonton Or somewhere else,” says the 43-year-old Hurricane. “There’s still a lot of time. He’s getting better and better. I don’t think he’s reached the end of his potential. I hope it’s not this year, but next year.”

The biggest challenge for the Kings in a maximum of seven matches is not only to keep Draistle under control, but also to keep his teammate Conor McDavid under control. “He has one, if not two of the best players in the world on his team. It won’t be that easy,” says Sturm. McDavid is currently the top scorer in the league, with Draisital in fourth place. “But we have always played strongly against the Edmonton Oilers and we know them very well. We have respect, especially for them, but we are not intimidated.”

However, it is especially important to avoid being outnumbered against the Oilers. That’s when Draisitl and McDavid, who otherwise run in separate attack lines, stand together on the ice. “It would be very, very important for us not to allow ourselves any kind of senseless punishment,” Sturm says. Draistal in particular would be even more dangerous. “He’s better in the head than almost all the other players,” explains Sturm. “We know what his strengths are. But even if we do know him, he always manages to score a goal or provide an assist. That’s what makes him so special.” (dpa)