Goals 36 seconds apart in the first period fueled the Edmonton Oilers to a convincing 6-1 win over the Dallas Stars in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final on Sunday afternoon at Rogers Place. The Oilers lead the best-of-7 series 2-1, after consecutive victories.
Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard opened the scoring at 14:02 of the first period with a blast from the point that made its way through traffic. Just 36 seconds later, Connor McDavid finished off a 3-on-1 rush for his first goal of the series, giving the Oilers a 2-0 lead before the Stars could settle in.
Dallas had a few early chances, including a point-blank look from Colin Blackwell that was turned aside by Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner, but the Stars failed to score early, a constant issue in these playoffs.
Edmonton controlled the pace for much of the Sunday matinee, limiting second-chance opportunities and forcing turnovers that turned into rush chances.
Jason Robertson got the Stars on the board at 15:35 of the second period, but McDavid responded just 18 seconds before intermission with an electric goal to make it 3-1. That Oilers momentum carried into the third, when Zach Hyman scored twice and John Klingberg added a power-play goal to put the game out of reach.
Much like Games 1 and 2, the Oilers came out aggressive, trying to control the pace. A 62-second offensive zone shift for the Oilers four minutes into the game generated multiple shots, but Stars goalie Jake Oettinger stood tall.
With 10:45 remaining in the period, Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen centered a pass for Sam Steel, but it hit off his skate and landed right on the tape of Blackwell near the crease. Skinner used all of his 6-foot-4 frame to push across the crease and flash the pad to deny the point-blank chance, keeping things scoreless.
Dallas hoped to go on the power-play with 6:08 remaining in the period after Brett Kulak sent the puck over the boards, but after the officials got together, and no penalty was assessed. After winning the face-off in their own zone, it took Edmonton only 10 seconds to capitalize.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins entered the zone and, after circling around near the left face-off circle, dropped it back to Bouchard for a 93 mph rocket. With traffic in front blocking Oettinger’s view, the puck found the back of the net for a 1-0 Edmonton lead less than 40 seconds later, Edmonton forced a turnover near the blue line and on the ensuing 3-on-1 rush, McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins played catch with the puck before McDavid buried it into the back to make it 2-0.
An onslaught of shots throughout the second period eventually caught up to Skinner, with Robertson credited with Dallas’ first goal, making it 2-1.
McDavid, who hadn’t scored in this series until the first period of this game, made it 3-1 with his second of the afternoon in the final 20 seconds of the period. After a wrap-around chance, Dallas couldn’t clear the puck, and McDavid regained possession inside the blue line. He took it to the net and beat Oettinger blocker side, erasing all of Dallas’ work in the period.
Hyman added to Edmonton’s lead with 16:35 left in regulation. McDavid threaded a pass that landed right on the tape of Hyman behind the defense, setting him up with a 1-on-1 against Oettinger. Hyman didn’t miss, roofing it top shelf to give the Oiler’s a 4-1 advantage.
Later in the period, Evander Kane connected with Hyman, this time a saucer pass threaded through the defenders right in front of the net. Hyman got just enough of his stick on it to deflect the puck past Oettinger, extending the Oilers’ lead to 5-1 with his second goal of the period at 12:06.
Klingberg scored a power-play goal with a clean shot that beat Oettinger glove side, giving the Oilers a 6-1 lead at 17:40. There was a late scrum, not a surprise with how frustrated the Stars were.
Game 4 is Tuesday night night in Edmonton.
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3 takeaways from Oilers’ Game 3 win over Stars in Western Conference Final
1. Stars continue to struggle with early deficits
For the third time in as many games this series, and 13th time these playoffs, the Stars have allowed the first goal. As noted by John Kreiser in Sportsnaut’s Game 2 recap, “The Stars can’t expect to win if they keep having to chase the game.”
While they managed to stay afloat with a 6-6 record in those games entering Sunday, constantly playing from behind is never a recipe for success, especially this deep into a playoff run.
Stars coach Peter DeBoer acknowledged the concern after Game 2, saying, “[The] first goal in this series is important. We take a penalty, they score on the first power play and we’re playing from behind.”
His comments show a clear awareness that the team’s slow starts are becoming a recurring issue, and one that’s putting them at a disadvantage. Against a high-octane team like the Oilers, the Stars need to find a way to match the early urgency from puck drop of they want to stay in the series.
2. What is Connor Brown’s status for Game 4?
The Oilers may be without a key player heading into Game 4 after forward Connor Brown exited Game 3 with an apparent injury. Brown left late in the second period after taking a hit from Alexander Petrovic along the half-wall, and it was later announced at the start of the third that he would not return.
The collision happened as Brown was attempting to break out of the zone, and the hit was enough to send him straight to the Edmonton locker room. The play led directly to a Dallas goal seconds later.
Brown has tallied eight points (five goals, three assists) this postseason and is a key member of of Edmonton’s middle six. The 31-year old had not missed a game all season, but it’s the second time this series his status has been questionable, as he was a game-time decision for Game 1.
The Oilers have not released an official update on Brown’s availability for Game 4, but his absencse would be noticeable. If he’s unavailable, the Oilers will have to make another adjustment, whether its shuffling around the third and fourth lines, or re-inserting Sam Gagner into the lineup.
3. Connor McDavid’s late 2nd period goal shifted momentum
For nearly all of the second period, Dallas was playing its best stretch of hockey in the game, outshooting Edmonton by a whopping 21-7 and pulling to within 2-1. The Stars looked to enter the final period of regulation down just one, but McDavid had other plans.
With 18 seconds until intermission, a failed clear by Dallas found its way back to McDavid’s stick. He walked it in and fired a shot past Oettinger blocker side to make it 3-1 as Rogers Place erupted.
That goal was McDavid’s second of the game and a huge turning point. Edmonton caried all the momentum into the third, and Dallas never recovered. The Oilers went on to score three unanswered goals to pull away and take their first lead of the series.
What could have been a one-goal game, turned into a runaway in a matter of minutes.
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