EDMONTON -- Leon Draisaitl is giving the Edmonton Oilers another dimension.
The 21-year-old from Cologne, Germany scored his seventh goal of December on Saturday (tied for the most this month with Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens), helping the Oilers to a 3-2 shootout win against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Draisaitl had a goal and an assist against the Lightning, and has 14 goals and 14 assists in 33 games this season. Connor McDavid leads the Oilers and the NHL in scoring with 12 goals and 39 points.
"He's so important to our team right now," Oilers coach Todd McLellan said of Draisaitl. "We still have some key people that are struggling to get on the scoreboard night in and night out and Leon has been, maybe even more so than Connor, the guy that's been able to step up and fill that void.
"Lately it's been him and [Mark Letestu] that have been the guys creating and finishing. He's become an essential part of this team in a really short period."
Draisaitl's goal on Saturday was his seventh in the past nine games and came during a power play in the third period. His eight power-play goals are tied for the NHL lead with Wayne Simmonds of the Philadelphia Flyers.
"It's his time," McLellan said. "He's found a good spot on the power play; a lot of his success is coming there.
"[His] confidence level is high. I think he's a utility guy, too. You saw him start the night in the middle and finish on the wing and he's comfortable in both spots. He gets to show different looks to the other team and right now it's working for him."
Draisaitl started the game on Saturday centering Patrick Maroon and Drake Caggiula. By the end of the game, he was playing wing on a line with Maroon and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
"When you play with confidence, that's what it's all about," Draisaitl said. "You see guys getting confident, then they heat up. Obviously with that comes a lot of work. You have to earn your confidence. I'm surrounded by so many good players that make it pretty easy for me."
With 142 NHL games played over three seasons, the No. 3 pick of the 2014 NHL Draft is starting to figure things out.
"I think I'm getting older, starting to understand how this league works," Draisaitl said. "And we're getting way better as a team, and that helps a lot. I feel way more comfortable."
He credited his teammates for his power-play production. Thirteen of Draisaitl's 28 points this season have come on the man-advantage.
"I think our power play has really taken a big step forward this season," Draisaitl said of Edmonton's sixth-ranked unit (22.2 percent) prior to Sunday. "We had a little stretch where we weren't as successful but I think every team goes through that. Me personally, I'm surrounded by so many good players that read off me so well and that makes it easier."
McDavid, who didn't have a point on Saturday but scored his first NHL shootout goal, said Draisaitl has grown significantly and quickly with the Oilers.
"I think it's his full, 200-foot game that I think has gotten better," McDavid said. "Offensively, he's always been very gifted. I think you really notice it when he's playing well defensively, that's when he's getting all his chances offensively. It's when he's skating and moving and it's something that's definitely developed over time."
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