SAN JOSE, CA - Leon Draisaitl lifted his hands to the sky to celebrate recording his second-career 50-goal season, and so too did his Oilers teammates.
In the selfless self-examination by the German, he's a product of the players whom he gets to share the ice with.
"I'm proud. I'm very happy about it, no question," Draisaitl said following Sunday's 6-1 win over the Ducks. "But it also shows how great my teammates are. They're the ones that put me in these situations, they're the ones that get me the puck in the right moments, and we have such a selfless group out there. It's just fun to be a part of."
In their post-game comments and post-practice interviews since Draisaitl officially marked his second-career season with a half-century for goals, players and coaches close to the German could do nothing but turn the praise right back towards him and applaud the incredible ability of a teammate who is constantly pushing the bar higher for both himself and the Oilers.
"Unbelievable. He's just a workhorse out there," goaltender Mike Smith said. "He's an incredible athlete, and obviously, he's a huge part of our team's success... For him to score 50 goals in this league is a special feat, so it couldn't have happened to a better guy. He drives the pace for us and is huge on the powerplay, but he's a special player to play with and a better guy too."
BLOG: Oilers commend Draisaitl on 50-goal milestone
"To have that type of consistency through the course of the season, and for it to be his second time around, it's really impressive," Evander Kane said