Jake Oettinger was a difference maker with a 33-save performance.
The Edmonton Oilers blew a third-period lead, and the comeback kids were back in business Wednesday night in Dallas, where they scored five unanswered goals in the third period.
The Dallas Stars rallied to beat the Edmonton Oilers 6-3 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final. Three of the five goals scored in the final period came on the power play.
Tyler Seguin had two goals and an assist for the Stars. Esa Lindell added an empty-netter to seal the deal. Miro Heiskanen, Mikael Granlund, and Matt Duchene, who provided the game-winner, also scored for Dallas.
Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Evan Bouchard scored for Edmonton.
Jake Oettinger stopped 24 of 27 shots for the Stars and Stuart Skinner made 22 saves.
First Period
Draisaitl put Edmonton up 1-0 just over 10 minutes into the game when he snapped a shot by Oettinger top shelf after sneaking around Wyatt Johnston and had a clear shot at the net.
Dallas tied the game about five minutes later after Seguin jumped on a loose puck after Draisaitl lost control of it and went on a breakaway and beat Skinner glove side.
Second Period
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored on the power play 6:08 into the second to give the Oilers a 2-1 advantage. It was a gorgeous play that was constructed by McDavid and Draisaitl. Once McDavid drove the puck through the neutral zone, he attempted to pass it through traffic but the puck was tipped. Thankfully, Nugent-Hopkins had incredible awareness and shot the puck by Oettinger.
Roughly 1:40 later, Evan Bouchard fired a wrister over the glove of Oettinger to give the Oilers a two-goal advantage. Then the wheels came off the wagon.
Third Period
Dallas unloaded a barrage of goals in the third period to complete a comeback for the ages, insurance also included.
The Stars scored 32 seconds into the third period on the man-advantage when Heiskanen snapped a shot from the point through a triple screen to put Dallas within a goal. Skinner was screened by three of his teammates, including Mason Marchment. That was not exactly ideal, as he never saw the puck. For Heiskanen, it was his first goal since January 9.
Nearly three minutes later, Granlund tied the game at three when he fired a shot that snuck in just underneath the crossbar and out of the net. The goal was initially waved off by the first official on the spot, but they were overruled.
The comeback kids took a 4-3 lead just over a minute later when Matt Duchene scooped up a loose puck and fired it by a pair of Oilers defenders and Skinner. It happened after Skinner made the initial save and Roope Hintz was tripped up in front of the net. However, Duchene, who sold a high-sticking call to put Evander Kane in the box moments earlier, scored the go-ahead goal.
Seguin scored his second of the night to make it 6-3 when he batted a Sam Steel backhand out of the air and into the net to officially put the game out of reach.
With 3:15 left in the game, Lindell scored on an empty-netter that traveled nearly the entire sheet of the ice.
Takeaways
Stuart Skinner is going to take a lot of heat from the haters, but you truly can’t blame this loss on him. Yes, a myriad of those penalties that were called in the third period against Edmonton were reminiscent of some of the infractions called against the Avalanche in Round One. You could have called an embellishment penalty on both Mason Marchment and Duchene. However, it’s a part of the game and Edmonton should have stepped up and played better defense. Skinner was utterly helpless on that triple screen; he had Marchment and two of his own guys blocking him. Skinner had no chance on that, and the additional penalties were also no help.
This Dallas Stars team has everything. The depth of this team, as we’ve said before, is dangerous. And on top of having guys who can score, defend, fight, and forecheck, you also have a good set of actors. That’s not hate. That’s admiration. The way they’ve been able to manipulate the officials throughout the playoffs is honestly impressive. It’s worked for them and their power play has been nearly unstoppable all postseason.
Game 2 is on Friday night in Dallas. Puck drop is at 6 p.m. local time.