Do you think it might have something to do with the fact that they’ve had a rotating cast of wingers over the past four seasons? While McDavid and Draisaitl have been constants?
Every single playoffs, McDavid is his most common linemate at ES. It means that more often than not, they are playing together at ES vs. centering their own separate lines. They cannot be consistently separated like Crosby/Malkin, Sakic/Forsberg, Yzerman/Federov etc....
McDrai are one of the great duos of all-time but they are not a two headed monster like Crosby and Malkin were that created much needed depth and matchup challenges for their opponents.
Since 2021, they do better in the regular season in keeping them separated (about
65% of the time they are separated vs.
52% of the time in the playoffs). Here are some stats:
McDavid has been in on
40% of Draisaitl's regular season ES points
Draisaitl has been in on
32% of McDavid's regular season ES points
McDavid's regular season plus/minus with Draisaitl on the ice is
+83
McDavid's regular season plus/minus with Draisaitl not on the ice is
+56
Draisaitl's regular season plus/minus with McDavid on the ice is
+83
Draisaitl's regular season plus/minus with McDavid not on the ice is
+27
COMMENT: Not a huge surprise that McDavid has a bigger influence on Draisaitl's ES production than Draisaitl on McDavid but Draisaitl has held his own at ES.
McDavid has been in on
58% of Draisaitl's playoff ES points
Draisaitl has been in on
61% of McDavid's playoff ES points
McDavid's playoff plus/minus with Draisaitl on the ice is
+19
McDavid's playoff plus/minus with Draisaitl not on the ice is
0
Draisaitl's playoff plus/minus with McDavid on the ice is
+19
Draisaitl's playoff plus/minus with McDavid not on the ice is
-13
In 2022, Draisaitl's playoff plus/minus with McDavid on the ice is
+16
Draisaitl's playoff plus/minus with McDavid not on the ice is
-8
COMMENT: A not surprising increase in their ES point shares given they increase their TOI together in the playoffs. There is a clear indication that Draisaitl is significantly weaker at ES when McDavid is not on the ice with him.
This is a weakness.
You could argue that McDavid's inability to generate positive offense at ES is also a weakness. Obviously his deadliness on the PP counters this but the combined efforts of McDrai to not produce at ES when not together makes them much more reliant on one line and on the PP.
They cannot seem to carry over their regular season ES efficiency to the playoffs.