Former Avalanche defenseman joins elite company after Oilers' Game 1 overtime victory against the Panthers
Photo credit: Paul Chiasson / AP Photos
When Leon Draisaitl scored on Wednesday, he became just the second player in NHL history to net a game-winning goal against the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.
In a rather remarkable coincidence, the only other player to do so was also born in Cologne, Germany and played for the Colorado Avalanche.
Former Avalanche legend joins elite company after Oilers' Stanley Cup Final Game 1 overtime victory against the Panthers.
According to NHL.com, that player was Uwe Krupp, who sealed the Avalanche's first Stanley Cup title by scoring in triple overtime to lift them to a 1-0 victory over the Panthers in Game 4 of the 1996 Final.
Here's what Krupp had to say in an interview with Stefan Herget from NHL.com...
«My career was hanging by a thread because of [a knee] injury, and then I won the Stanley Cup. That was a special time. But it's not at all comparable to Leon. As I said, we filled a role, but he has to carry the team and lead the way.» -Krupp
When Krupp scored his iconic goal in 1996, he was in his 10th NHL season. He began his career with the Buffalo Sabres in 1986-87, was traded to the New York Islanders early in the 1991-92 campaign, and later went to the Quebec Nordiques following the 1993-94 season.
He then relocated to Colorado along with the team when the franchise became the Avalanche ahead of the 1995-96 season.
"Of course, it's something else when it's the clinching goal and you win the Stanley Cup. After that, it's over and you've won. When you score a goal, the celebrations are huge, but when it's the goal and you're the champion, an incredible weight is lifted off your shoulders. That's what it's all about. People always ask me what it was like, and my answer is always that it's a mixture of emotions. Not just euphoria, but also relief.» -Krupp
Draisaitl's two-goal performance in Edmonton's 4-3 Game 1 win on Wednesday, opening the scoring and netting the overtime winner with just 31 seconds left, had to feel like redemption after being held goalless in last year's seven-game Cup Final loss to Florida.
«I don't know if pressure is the right word for someone like Leon Draisaitl in his position. It's more his own expectations of himself. He doesn't need to prove himself in the hockey world. But for him personally, the Stanley Cup is missing. That's more important than an Olympic medal or a World Championship. It's more important than any trophy he's won or any All-Star Game nominations. The Stanley Cup is omnipresent and the ultimate achievement. When you've achieved as much as Leon has, that's what you expect as a player" -Krupp
As for the rest of the best-of-7 Cup Final, Krupp thinks Draisaitl and the Oilers will get revenge on the Panthers from last season.
"I'm betting on Edmonton because I think the back-to-back statistics are right. When two teams are evenly matched in terms of their strengths, my experience as a coach is that the team that loses the first game wins the second. That's how I see it here, too." -Krupp
Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final goes Friday night in Edmonton.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 6 | 52 ANSWERS Former Avalanche defenseman joins elite company after Oilers' Game 1 overtime victory against the Panthers Do you think the Edmonton Oilers will win the Stanley Cup this season? | ||
| yes | 29 | 55.8 % |
| no | 23 | 44.2 % |
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