EDMONTON, Alberta — Leon Draisaitl reached 50 goals in a single season for the fourth time in his career, then went ahead and netted his 51st in overtime, leading the Edmonton Oilers past the rival Calgary Flames, 3-2, on Saturday night.
Draisaitl, the first player to reach 50 in the NHL this season, scored No. 51 2:25 into overtime in front of a raucous crowd, as Edmonton snapped a two-game skid.
“I have been feeling good all year,” Draisaitl said during his postgame interview on SportsNet. “I’ve got some great players, great people around me that let me do my job, and let me take care of that.”
Viktor Arvidsson also scored for Edmonton, and Darnell Nurse added two assists for the Oilers, who were again without star forward Connor McDavid, veteran defenseman Mattias Ekholm and goaltender Stuart Skinner.
LEON’S THE FIRST TO 50 🚨
Leon Draisaitl becomes the first member of this season’s 50-goal club! pic.twitter.com/SnKgcqDe27
— NHL (@NHL) March 30, 2025
Calvin Pickard received the start in net, instead, and made 26 saves en route to the win, as Edmonton moved into a tie with the Los Angeles Kings for second place in the Pacific Division. The two clubs are likely to meet in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs next month.
On Saturday, though, the story was Draisaitl, who hit the 50 mark at the 16:48 mark of the third period, off assists from Evan Bouchard and Nurse.
“Obviously, I was fortunate it went in” Draisaitl said of his 50th tally. “I’ll take it.”
Draisaitl, with four 50-goal seasons, is now tied with Edmonton legend Jari Kurri for second-most in Oilers franchise history, behind Wayne Gretzky’s eight.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
