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Draisaitl’s goal 23 seconds in helps lift Germany over Denmark in his Olympic debut: Recap, Reaction, and Highlights
Team Germany Leon Draisaitl
Photo credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Feb 12, 2026, 18:00 ESTUpdated: Feb 12, 2026, 18:05 EST
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For the first time since 2019, Leon Draisaitl suited up in black, red, and yellow.
Connor McDavid wasn’t the only Edmonton Oilers player to make his Olympic debut Thursday, as both Draisaitl and Josh Samanski played on Team Germany’s top line in a 3-1 win over Team Denmark in Group C action.
It took less than a half a minute for Team Germany to get on the board, as Draisaitl deflected a Frederik Tiffels pass into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead. 
With just under seven minutes to go in the first period, Team Denmark’s Oscar Mølgaard scored to tie the game, with NHL’er Nikolaj Ehlers getting an assist to send the two teams deadlocked at one heading into the second period. About five minutes into the second, Tim Stützle scored to give Team Germany the 2-1 lead, which happened to be the game-winning goal.
Midway through the second period, Team Germany received a power play, and of course Draisaitl was a crucial part of it. He (and Moritz Seider) picked up an assist on Stützle’s second of the game, which turned out to be an important insurance goal.
While a goal and an assist is a good day for any player, it doesn’t quite tell the whole story for the Oilers’ superstar, as Draisaitl made numerous high-danger passes that should’ve been finished. Additionally, he was slashed on a breakaway and still almost managed to finish it. That power play that led to Team Germany’s third goal was also drawn by Draisaitl.

Takeaways…

  • One of those high-danger passes from Draisaitl happened to be to Josh Samanski, but he couldn’t get enough on it to direct it to the net. It looked as if Samanski would play on Team Germany’s third line, but he was alongside Draisaitl all game.
  • Draisaitl’s goal 23 seconds into the game was the first time an NHL’er representing Team Germany has scored a goal since Marcel Goc in the 2010 Olympics, as Team Germany missed the 2014 Olympics. That same game was the last time two NHL’ers scored for Germany until their win over Denmark.
  • In Team Canada’s victory over Team Czechia earlier on Thursday, it was Connor McDavid laying the body. Well, Draisaitl was hit pretty hard in this game during the second period along the wall on a zone entry. Thankfully, he was okay, although Tim Stützle looked to be shaken up at the end of the second period. He returned for the third.
  • Draisaitl was the best skater on the ice, but Seattle Kraken netminder Philipp Grubauer won them this game, stopping 37 of 38 shots for a .973 save percentage. If they wish to beat Team USA or even Team Latvia, they’ll need to be better.
  • As this post game is being written, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Team USA will defeat Team Latvia, with the only thing left to be determined is the score. Team Germany will have a chance to finish second in the group with a win over Team Latvia on Saturday. That game has a 4:10 AM MT start time.
  • Team Canada will be back in action before then though, as they play Team Switzerland on Friday at 1:10 PM ET, with the winner of that game being in the driver’s seat to win Group A.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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