Germany's flag bearer in a goal-scoring mood

Leon Draisaitl was in a scoring mood shortly before his departure for the Winter Olympics.

February 05, 2026

From: dpa/sn

The flag bearer for the German team scored two goals in the NHL, but couldn't prevent his Edmonton Oilers from losing 3-4 to the Calgary Flames. It was Edmonton's third consecutive loss, but they remain on track for the playoffs as the second-place team in the Pacific Division before the Olympic break.

“We’re conceding too many goals and not defending well enough,” said Draisaitl after the game. “That’s simply not enough at the moment.” He appealed to the entire team to improve – including the coaches. “We can all be better,” demanded Draisaitl. “And when we come back from the break, we finally have to get going.” On Friday, Draisaitl will carry the German flag at the Olympic opening ceremony in Milan, while ski jumper Katharina Schmid will receive this honor at the ceremony in Predazzo.

Draisaitl initially equalized in Calgary after the Flames had taken an early lead, before the hosts struck back twice. Although Edmonton came back again thanks to Draisaitl and Kasperi Kapanen, it wasn't enough. Calgary's Ryan Lomberg sealed the victory with just over 13 minutes remaining.

Keywords hockey NHL Olympics 2026