EDMONTON -- Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl can't explain his success against the Anaheim Ducks.
Draisaitl has 13 points in the Western Conference Second Round after scoring three goals and two assists in a 7-1 win in Game 6 at Rogers Place on Sunday.
The best-of-7 series is tied 3-3 with Game 7 in Anaheim on Wednesday.
Draisaitl has five goals and eight assists in the series. Including the regular season, he has 21 points (11 goals, 10 assists) in 11 games against the Ducks.
"People ask me that question all the time. I just go out and try to play my best game and try to be the best player I can be," Draisaitl said. "Sometimes it's just a team that you like playing against."
Draisaitl leads the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in 12 games. He started the postseason on a line with Oilers center Connor McDavid, but was moved to center in Game 5 of the series in an effort to contain Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf. Getzlaf was held without a point in Game 6.
"I like playing wherever, whether I'm needed at center ice or at the right wing or left wing, wherever, it doesn't matter," Draisaitl said. "I just try to be the best player I can possibly be and just try and play my game."
Draisaitl scored on a breakaway at 2:45 of the first period to give the Oilers a 1-0 lead. He made it 2-0 at 7:22.
Draisaitl had an assist on Mark Letestu's power-play goal at 18:49 to give the Oilers 5-0 lead, then sent Patrick Maroon and Anton Slepyshev away on a 2-1, which led to their sixth goal, which was scored 45 seconds into the second period.
"I thought our whole group was really good," Draisaitl said. "Without those guys I probably would have had zero [points], so it's not me, it's the whole group."
The Oilers were able to bounce back to win Game 6 after a disappointing 4-3 overtime loss in Game 5 on Friday, when they blew a 3-0 lead with 3:16 left in the third period.
After Corey Perry scored in overtime, Draisaitl and McDavid lingered on the bench, pondering the blown opportunity. After a few seconds, McDavid tapped Draisaitl on the shoulder and they left the bench together.
"He said, 'Let's go, we'll be back [to Anaheim] on Wednesday,'" Draisaitl said. "That shows the leadership that he has. We were all frustrated for sure, but that's the type of team we are. We bounce back from stuff like that."
Sunday was the second time in the playoffs Draisaitl has had at least four points in a game; he had a goal and three assists in a 5-3 win against the Ducks in Game 1.
"He stepped up big," Oilers forward Milan Lucic said. "We needed someone to step up, and he's stepped up like he has all season long. He came up huge for us when we needed it the most."
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