The Western Conference Final started Wednesday night with the Dallas Stars beating the Edmonton Oilers, 6-3. Here are some key takeaways from the Stars’ Game 1 win in Dallas.
Stars’ rally made it clear they don’t fear the Oilers
The Oilers eliminated the Stars in six games in last postseason’s Western Conference Final after Dallas blew a 2-1 lead in the series.
“I think obviously the carryover is still there,” Dallas left winger Jamie Benn said before Game 1, via NHL.com’s Nicholas J. Costonika. “We remember what happened last year. But obviously, we have both been through a new season. We brought in different players. They brought in different players. So, totally new rivalry, I guess, for this year that we’re looking forward to.”
When Edmonton led 2-1 at the end of the second period, it seemed Dallas was still reeling from last season’s loss. However, the Stars rebounded in the third period, scoring five goals.
The comeback could prove pivotal for the Stars. It shows their past struggles against the Oilers may not be lingering, and they can keep gaining momentum.
Oilers’ power play is still a massive problem
The Oilers’ power play has been inconsistent throughout the playoffs. In its first 11 postseason games, Edmonton had just six power-play goals.
Once again, it was a problem in Game 1 against Dallas. The Oilers had three power plays, scoring on one. The Stars, meanwhile, netted three power-play goals on four opportunities.
Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse acknowledged they must play to their strengths until they solve their power-play issues.
“Our five-on-five game was really good. We gotta use it more,” Nurse said in a postgame news conference. “The last couple series, when we buckled down, stayed out of the box and kept the game at five-on-five, we played to the strength of our team.”
Is Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner backsliding?
Entering the Western Conference Final against Dallas, it seemed Skinner had turned a corner. In his past two games against the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round, he posted a stellar 1.000 save percentage.
In Game 1 against Dallas, though, he didn’t have one of his better postseason games. He posted a subpar .815 save percentage, his second-lowest mark in the playoffs, and allowed five goals.
The Oilers better hope Skinner’s poor outing against the Stars is an outlier and doesn’t signal he’s regressing.
It’s unclear when the Oilers could replace Skinner with backup goalie Calvin Pickard. Pickard hasn’t played since suffering a lower-body injury in Game 2 against Vegas and didn’t travel with the team to Dallas.
Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen is looking like his old self
The Stars have gradually increased Heiskanen’s workload since he returned from a knee injury in their second-round series against the Winnipeg Jets.
In Game 1 against Edmonton, he finished with a postseason-high 24:13 of ice time. It made a massive difference for the Stars.
Heiskanen scored a goal on a wrist shot at the beginning of the third period. He also assisted Stars center Mikael Granlund on a power-play goal.
