The Dallas Stars are up 2-1 in this best-of-7 series against the Oilers and look to take a 3-1 stranglehold on Wednesday night.
Game 4 is underway at 8:30 pm EST in Edmonton.
In games 1 and 2, it was the veterans who led the production train for the Stars, getting the win in Game 2. In Game 3, the future rose to the occasion to take control of the game and the series. In every game, Jake Oettinger has been stellar. So, heading into Wednesday, confidence is high and everyone is doing their part.
For the Oilers, there have been moments in every game where they have dominated, and control every aspect of play. In games 1 and 3 they had, then blew, a two-goal lead. On Saturday and Monday, they outshot the Stars 27-9 in the two first periods. Their top players have done their job, but they will need more in Game 4 to give themselves a chance moving forward.
Full Team Effort for Stars
Depth, depth, depth. That’s all we’re hearing about when it comes to the Dallas Stars, and rightfully so.
Through two games, the experience of Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, and Mason Marchment dragged them to overtime in the series opener and propelled them to victory the following game.
In Game 3, after being down 2-0 after 20 minutes, it was the Robertson and Johnston show, as the two young Stars scored three goals in less than five minutes, giving Dallas a 3-2 lead. The Oilers would tie it, but Robertson completed the hat-trick in the third to restore the Stars’ lead and eventually bring home the win.
The addition of Rope Hintz back in the lineup cannot be overstated. His 200 foot game adds even more depth to the Stars, not to mention a breath of life into the play of Jason Robertson.
In net, Jake Oettinger keeps on giving his team a chance. As previously stated, the Oilers have outshot the Stars 27-9 in the last two first periods and 13-3 in Monday’s third period. Not every save is beautiful, but the Stars continue to prove that if Oettinger gives them a key save at the right time, the team will do the rest.
What’s the Answer for the Oilers?
The way the first half of this series has gone, the hope of a Stanley Cup Final feels bleak for the Oilers. Yet, it’s only 2-1, and Edmonton has a chance on home ice to even the series before heading back to Texas.
On Monday, the atmosphere both in the stadium and outside was electric, and the Oilers played like it. In the first period anyways.
Connor McDavid was all over the ice, producing a goal and an assist. The Stars looked overwhelmed and under pressure all 20 minutes in what was maybe the Oiler’s best period of the playoffs, definitely the series.
To start the second period, Edmonton was quickly on the powerplay. If they converted that opportunity, there’s a good chance the Canadian team is the one with a 2-1 lead. But, their PP has been anemic all series long, though with limited chances, and quickly, the game turned on its head.
Even with the Stars dominating the second, the game was tied 3-3 heading into the final 20 minutes.
“They had one period that was great. We had one period that was great. We flush it and say, let’s go win a period,” said Zach Hyman after the game.
Plenty Of Opportunities
They had plenty of opportunities to do so, but, the ugly Skinner goal reared it’s head again halfway through the period. Robertson shot the puck from behind the net, bouncing off Skinner’s skate first, then his backside, and bouncing straight into the net.
For Robertson, it’s opportunistic; for Stuart Skinner, that goal just cannot go in.
While the goaltender can’t be let off the hook entirely, the lack of key shot production from a team with three of the best scorers remaining in the playoffs is simply unacceptable.
In that disastrous second period, the Oilers went 16:27 without a shot on goal. Ending the period with seven shots was flattering. In Game 2, Edmonton went 23:57 without a shot spanned across two occasions.
Both defenses are playing very well, with only 17 goals scored in the first three games. But for the Oilers, these long stretches without a goal are resulting in the majority of that time being in their defensive end, which ends up killing them every time.
What to Expect in Game 4
We have seen a similar script for the majority of this series. Especially in Games 1 and 3. Edmonton starts the game shot out of a cannon, Oettinger keeps the game close, then the Stars make it a game again. The Oilers squeaked out a win in Game 1, but it hasn’t worked for them since.
In every game there have been 30 minutes where the Oilers disappear. They are going to have to bring that number back down to zero on Wednesday.
For the Stars to bring this full circle, depth truly has been winning out, and every aspect of this team has brought this series to where it is now.
They have gotten production from their depth and from their top players. Their defense, for the most part, has locked McDavid and the gang down in key moments. They are not taking penalties, and when they do, they are keeping the best PP unit in the league off of the score sheet.
It feels like the Stars are too much for Edmonton in this series. However, the Oilers still have Connor McDavid, and they still have another chance on home ice. If they can play their hockey for three periods, not just two, and if Skinner can make a big save at the right time, this series could very well be tied at two when the dust settles at midnight.
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About The Author
Marc Sautter is a self proclaimed sports addict, with the NHL being his specialty. After being a sports fan from afar, Marc made a career change in his 30’s to cover sports through journalism and podcasting. His daily NHL preview and betting show “Pucks Across Borders” airs every weekday morning. In addition to hockey, you can read his work on the Canadian Football League all summer on Total Apex Sports.
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