The Edmonton Oilers have a straightforward task: Kill or be killed.
The visiting Oilers trail 1-0 in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals heading into Friday’s Game 2 clash with the Dallas Stars after surrendering five unanswered third-period goals in the 6-3 opener.
The first three of those final-frame tallies came while the Stars were on the power play, which turned Edmonton’s two-goal edge into an insurmountable 4-3 deficit.
“We struggled [on the penalty kill] to start the season and found it again,” Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said Thursday.
“Last year in the playoffs, it made a huge impact for us positively and we know we can get back there.”
The Oilers have surrendered 14 power-play goals in only 12 playoff games.
Fans were shattered in Ice District Plaza after the Oilers blew a two-point lead and Dallas scored five goals in the third period. Both teams are hungry in the familiar matchup after the Oilers beat the Dallas Stars in six games last year. Emily Williams has the fan reaction to the stunning loss.
Granted, six of those goals came in the first three games of the playoffs when they faced the Los Angeles Kings. While there is some improvement, the penalty-kill woes could become a series-deciding issue if they are not addressed.
The Stars have scored 15 power-play goals during the playoffs, five more than any other team.
That said, the Oilers had a chance to make their mark on a power play of their own shortly after falling behind but failed to find the mark.
“The game got away from us through the kill and then our power play, when you have a chance to tie it, wasn’t much better,” Edmonton forward Leon Draisaitl said.
“We have to look at it and correct it.”
One aspect in Edmonton’s favour is its history: The Oilers have won nine series since 2017 and trailed at some point in seven of them.
If you look into a crowd of Oilers fans, you’re going to see a lot of jerseys. Over nearly five decades of hockey in Oil Country, the design has changed many times. So CBC’s Sam Brooks went to find out which ones are favourites among fans.
“We’ve been really good in high-pressure situations, high-pressure games,” Edmonton captain Connor McDavid said.
“Game 2 can be one of those. We’ve got to find a way to get a win. A lot of positives came out of Game 1 … and I don’t think we’ve got to change a lot.”
The Stars, who were blanked on 14 power-play chances when they lost to the Oilers in last year’s conference final, reiterated their comeback ability as well as scoring depth in the opener.
Dallas has just as many comeback victories in this year’s Stanley Cup chase with six.
“It might be oversimplifying it, but Edmonton beat us out last year because their special teams were better than ours,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said.
“We’ve advanced through the first two rounds and won the special-teams battle. It’s not everything, but it’s a really important part, and when you’re feeling good about those parts of a game, you’re never out.”
The Stars also proved how the experience of reaching a third consecutive conference final allows a level of composure when a game is not going their way and knowing how to right the ship.
Oilers superfan Blair Gladue says hockey fans from across the country are more than welcome on the Edmonton bandwagon as the team takes on the Dallas Stars in NHL’s Western Conference finals. ‘This is Canada’s hope!’ he says of the last Canadian team left in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Dallas has surrendered the first goal in 11 of its 14 playoff games. Aside from that potential issue, the Stars continue to possess a businesslike approach to the situation.
That attitude is how they mounted a comeback and how they want to approach the next clash with an opportunity to take a 2-0 lead before the series shifts north.
“With the last couple runs we’ve been on, we’re a veteran team with a lot of experience,” Dallas forward Mason Marchment said.
“In the room, we’re talking and being positive, even when we know we haven’t brought our best game through two periods. … There’s a lot of belief in that room.”