The verdict is in for Leon Draisaitl and his dangerous hit on Barkov
The Edmonton Oilers fell to the Florida Panthers 4-1 in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final and head back home down 2-0 in the series.
In addition to the crushing defeat, Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl delivered a questionable check to Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, which garnered chatter amongst both fanbases whether Draisaitl should face any supplemental discipline. Having a player of his calibre suspended at this stage of the season would be a monumental blow the Oilers' Stanley Cup hopes.
This occurred in a game that saw Warren Foegele ejected early for a five-minute kneeing penalty, which the Oilers actually scored a short handed goal on the ensuing penalty kill. Fortunately for Edmonton, fans shouldn't expect Draisaitl to receive further discipline from the Department of Player Safety.
Evan Rodrigues scored twice in the win for the Panthers, while Draisaitl was held pointless in the loss and captain Connor McDavid was held to a lone short-handed assist, marking his first career Cup Final point.
Game 3 will take place in Edmonton on Thursday, June 13th. It will mark McDavid and Draisaitl's first home game in the Cup Final as they took to come back from a daunting 2-0 series deficit. Barring any sudden changes, expect Draisaitl to be suiting up for an absolutely crucial Game 3 and beyond.
| POLL | ||
Should Draisaitl have received supplemental discipline? | ||
| Yes | 1465 | 80.5 % |
| No | 354 | 19.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
