Draisaitl: Rittich's stick flip was 'disrespectful'
Leon Draisaitl was tight-lipped after David Rittich celebrated a shootout-winning save on him with a Jose Bautista-style stick flip when the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames met Wednesday night.
David Rittich's celly says it all. π @NHLFlames take this edition of the #BattleOfAlberta in a shootout! pic.twitter.com/9lQAYaGel5
β Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 30, 2020
After the Oilers cranked the Flames 8-3 on Saturday in a highly emotional game that featured a goalie fight, Draisaitl decided to share his honest opinion about the stick flip.
"It's just disrespectful," he told TSN's Ryan Rishaug postgame. "We hit two posts and he's acting like they just won the Stanley Cup."
Draisaitl got the last laugh, as Rittich was pulled Saturday after allowing four goals. Forced to re-enter the contest after Cam Talbot was ejected following his scrap with Mike Smith, Rittich proceeded to allow two more goals in the losing effort. Draisaitl, meanwhile, extended his league-leading point total with four assists.
Smith spent the last two seasons as Rittich's teammate in Calgary. He acknowledged the two have a relationship but admitted Rittich can take things too far.
"What goes around comes around," Smith said.
The next installment of the Battle of Alberta takes place April 4 - each team's last game of the regular season. Mark your calendars.