Blatant no-call on Leon Draisaitl leaves Oilers fans furious over NHL playoff double standard
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Daniel Lucente
Apr 29, 2026 (10:20)
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Photo credit: © Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Leon Draisaitl took a dangerous Ducks hit, and the Oilers' playoff survival now carries an NHL favoritism firestorm.
This is not just noise after a 4-1 Edmonton Oilers win.
It is about the hit fans keep yelling about, the one that arrives late enough to feel avoidable and hard enough to change a series.
Draisaitl had just scored twice in Game 5, dragging Edmonton back from the edge against the Anaheim Ducks.
His 35-62-97 regular season in 65 games already showed how much the Oilers lost when he missed the final stretch.
Then came Chris Kreider's contact, and the conversation flipped from hockey to trust.
Edmonton finished 41-30-11, barely ahead of Anaheim, so every call in this series already feels bigger.
The Ducks still lead 3-2, which makes the non-call feel even louder.
Leon Draisaitl Puts Edmonton Oilers Under NHL Microscope
Fans are right to be skeptical when the standard feels movable from shift to shift.
If that hit goes unpunished, Anaheim learns it can test Edmonton's top-six stars without paying the full price.
That changes forecheck pressure, neutral-zone timing, and how much room Draisaitl gets on the man advantage.
Kris Knoblauch must protect his best player without chasing revenge penalties that feed Anaheim's power play.
Draisaitl's second Game 5 goal tied Wayne Gretzky for Edmonton's playoff power-play goals record, which shows the real danger.
Take away his comfort, and the Oilers lose their cleanest pressure valve.
The NHL does not need fans believing stars get protected only when the storyline fits.
Game 6 now becomes more than survival in Anaheim.
It becomes a test of whether the league can sell the same rulebook to both benches.
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