Leon Draisaitl did his best at practice Tuesday morning when prodded by the media for a reaction on the three-game suspension handed to his friend and teammate Connor McDavid on Monday.

In their first of three games without suspended captain Connor McDavid, the Edmonton Oilers put up as good a fight as you could ask for Tuesday, swarming the first place Washington Capitals for almost all 60 minutes.

Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid is facing an NHL hearing after a cross-check occurred during a team game against Vancouver.

Could Connor McDavid leave Edmonton at the end of his contract? @wyshynski explained to @JeffMarek why he doesn't believe it's a guarantee that the #LetsGoOilers superstar remains with the team when his contract expires👀 Presented by @FanDuelCanada pic.twitter.com/PPodhegfyw

Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin is happy his team doesn't have to face Connor McDavid on Tuesday night.

For the record, Canucks defenceman Tyler Myers got the same three-game suspension for crosschecking Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard moments later. But for as much as McDavid will be missed this week, the numbers say the Oilers still boast the top centre in the league.

Draisaitl scored a goal on four shots and added an assist in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Capitals.

The entire post-game interview lasted a brisk 1:16. Draisaitl may have given a more "pissy" response in the past. This was notably calm and collected despite his obvious disappointment in the game's end results. This is a statement of Draisaitl's growth and maturity. He doesn't get too high when they win, and he doesn't get too low when they lose.