The Edmonton Oilers dropped the ball in Game 1 against the Dallas Stars, but the good thing about a seven-game series is that they had a chance to rebound 48 hours later. And even though that loss was undoubtedly painful, no one would care if our boys could find a way to grab the split at the American Airlines Center in Game 2. And as hoped, the Oilers picked up where they started the first two periods of the series, but this time they were able to complete a 60-minute effort that resulted in a massive 3-0 win.
ANOTHER MULTI-POINT NIGHT FOR RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS
We’ve spoken about how vital depth scoring is in the playoffs a million times by this point, so we don’t have to do it again now, but Friday night was another one of those games where the depth came through once again. While we expect Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to contribute offensively, having him register back-to-back multi-point nights to support the Dynamic Duo is another win on top of what we got on the scoreboard. RNH is my dude — everybody knows that — but he’s a guy that we need to chip in a goal occasionally in addition to the two-way play we expect from him. In Games 1 and 2, Nugent-Hopkins has held up his end of the bargain.
With four points through the first two games of this series, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has quietly amassed 13 points in 12 playoff games. While McDavid and Draisaitl understandably get the bulk of the attention around here, how can you not appreciate that the 14-year Oiler is also producing at over a point per game? Then again, maybe it’s almost better that Nuge is flying under the radar and living in the dynamic shadow of his MVP teammates. Of course, the NHL playoffs are very much a “what have you done for me lately” situation, and as much fun as it was to see Nuge have success so far, we need him to keep this mini-heater going with the series heading back to Edmonton.
STUART SKINNER BOUNCES BACK AGAIN
I’m running out of creative things to say about Stuart Skinner’s 2025 playoffs. These games keep getting increasingly unbelievable because you’re either getting shutouts or .830 performances, and there is no in-between. It’s wild. It’s confusing. It’s exhilarating. Skinner has been perfect in all three of his post-season wins — he has shutouts in three of his last four games — but has also given up 20 goals in the four losses he’s had. It’s a roller-coaster that gives us the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, with the added bonus that you never know which ride you’re on until the game gets going.
Yet, on a night when we needed Skinner to bounce back, he rose to the challenge and put his best foot forward. Not only did Stu lock in the shutout and win, but he also tied Curtis Joseph for the franchise record with three shutouts in a single playoff run. Skinner now has four post-season shutouts on his résumé, which puts him past Bill Ranford for second place in franchise history, behind only Cujo’s five for the top spot. While it’s unfair to expect perfection from him every night, there has to be some kind of middle ground between stopping literally everything and not quite enough. The guy can clearly excel when we need him, but the trick will be if he can do it a bit more consistently.
WHAT CAN CONNOR BROWN DO FOR YOU?
I love playoff Connor Brown. We know he’s battling some kind of injury that’s keeping him off the ice for morning skates, but you wouldn’t know it from the way No. 28 has been flying all over the ice. I don’t know what it is about the playoffs that allows him to find another gear, but it’s quickly becoming one of my favourite annual traditions. Regardless of which line he’s on or how many minutes he plays, you know that Connor Brown will give it 2,000 per cent, and Game 2 was another example of him doing his thing. In 16:14 of TOI, Brown picked up a beautiful deflection goal on RNH’s shot from the circle, had two shots on goal, one hit and a plus-one rating for good measure.
While we don’t know what injury he’s battling or how much it’s affecting him — my guess is it has something to do with the shot he took off the foot in Game 5 against Vegas — the way he’s grinding through whatever is going on only brightens his star. That’s pretty good for a guy who was a healthy scratch for all of the first round against Los Angeles in last year’s playoffs, right? Either way, Brown excelling is an excellent example of the Oilers’ depth and how we’re a long way from the days of having no one other than McDavid and Draisaitl who were able to put the puck in the net. While Connor Brown having a solid night is nothing new at this point, it’s impossible not to cheer for a guy who gives it his all regardless of the role he’s given. Teamwork makes the dream work, friends, and Connor Brown is doing all kinds of good work for his teammates right now.
