Leon Draisaitl Fires Subtle Jab at Maple Leafs Ahead of Conference Finals

While the Edmonton Oilers head to the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Stars, they remain the only Canadian team left in the Stanley Cup Playoffs after the Maple Leafs were knocked out by Florida.

It would be the first time a Canadian club won the Cup in 32 years, and would no doubt cement Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the like as not only hometown heroes, but national ones as well.

Speaking of Draisaitl, he's expected to be a huge factor in the Oilers' quest for the Cup, and so far he's done a pretty good job. There's a lot of pressure on him to succeed, but he's dealing with it well.

Regarding pressure, Draisaitl commented on how he feels going into the series, and decided to take a quick potshot at their Ontario rivals regarding playing in Canada:

They have certainly fared better than the Maple Leafs in the past few seasons, and a repeat appearance in the Finals would easily give them the advantage in the success department.

Both teams have similar trajectories but wildly different results. Draisaitl and McDavid work together like peanut butter and jelly; working to create magic every night and being consistent playoff performers.

Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner on the other hand were consistently awful when it came to the playoffs, especially in clutch situations.

Draisaitl has 16 points (5G, 11A) which equals both players' goal total in the playoffs, and he tied Marner in assists with more games to go.

Plus you don't really see them attacking their own players as Matthews and Marner did in Game 7, and when they struggle or slump they take accountability for their shortcomings, not try and pass the blame elsewhere.

Diamonds are supposed to be made under pressure, and for Edmonton it seems their perseverance is paying off. Leon Draisaitl at least is ready to take on any situation that comes his way.

If this was Toronto though, you can expect their stars to crumble under the weight of success time and time again.