Leon Draisaitl spoke Tuesday after the Edmonton Oilers’ 6–1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.
The game unraveled in the third period, with both teams entering a line brawl that ended with the Oilers being hit with 85 of the 140 total penalty minutes assessed to both teams during the 60 minutes of play.
Three players from each side were ejected after the melee midway through the final frame, with the game already decided and the Panthers boasting a 5-1 lead.
Draisaitl remained off the scoresheet in the loss and was not involved in the brawl, but addressed it after Tuesday's practice.
“Last night is, I mean, the game is over with 11 minutes left, right, like, whatever it is... and then, you know, all hell breaks loose,” Draisaitl said. “It’s a UFC fight.”
Draisaitl acknowledged Florida’s physical style of play and said Edmonton has handled it well at times throughout the series.
“That’s part of their DNA. That’s what they do,” Draisaitl said. “I think there’s spurts in the series where we’ve handled it really well.”
Despite the lopsided loss and the brawl, Draisaitl said the Oilers haven't lost their composure.
“I’m not going crazy. I don’t know if anybody’s going crazy,” Draisaitl said. “It’s an emotional time. It’s two teams that want to win, two teams doing it their own way.”
The Panthers took 11 power plays in Game 3 as Edmonton’s discipline faltered late, converting three of them.
Draisaitl, meanwhile, finished the game with no shots, a minus-2 rating, and just over 20 minutes of ice time.
Game 4 is Thursday as Edmonton looks to avoid falling behind 3–1 in the series before returning home for Game 5 on Saturday.
