The Dallas Stars powered their way to a series-opening victory in their Western Conference final rematch with the Edmonton Oilers.
And it was quick turnaround.
Miro Heiskanen, Mikael Granlund and Matt Duchene scored power-play goals in a 5:26 span early in the third period, when the Stars overcame a two-goal deficit in a 6-3 victory Wednesday night.
“It started with a power play,” Duchene said. “You get one right way, and it’s like, ‘Hey, we’re back in it now with momentum.’ Get another one right away.”
Dallas opened the third period with a man advantage from a penalty that carried over from the second. Heiskanen scored 32 seconds in on a shot from near the blue line, Granlund tied it at 3 and Duchene put the Stars ahead to stay with a second-effort score.
“I didn’t feel through 40 minutes that we had made (the Oilers) earn the position they were in. so, guys responded. We got fortunate. We got some power-play goals,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “Happy for our power play. It took a lot of heat last year at this point of the year. it was the difference tonight for us, so it’s great.”
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.
Tyler Seguin had two goals and an assist for the Stars. Esa Lindell added a empty-netter that went almost the entire length of the ice for their first five-goal third period in a playoff game. Jake Oettinger stopped 24 shots.
Game 2 is Friday night in Dallas.
Dallas went 0 for 14 on power plays in losing the West final last year in six games, and gave up two short-handed goals in the process. The Stars also failed to convert with a man advantage only 7½ minutes into this opener, but quickly turned that around in the third period.
Leon Draisaitl had a goal and two assists for the rested Oilers, who played for the first time since wrapping up their second-round series a week earlier in Game 5 at Vegas. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a power-play goal and an assist, defenceman Evan Bouchard had his fifth goal and Connor McDavid two assists.
Stuart Skinner, who had lost his starting job in these playoffs before Calvin Pickard got hurt in the last series, stopped 22 of 27 shots. Skinner had closed out the Golden Knights with consecutive shutouts.
“Goals have been going in a little differently, in different ways. Again, it’s a different series so they show us different things,” Skinner said. “The PK, it’s been a little bit up and down. It was bad at the start of the first round then got better. It was great all series against Vegas and (now) a struggle for one game. I mean, again, it’s one game.”
Heiskanen and Duchene both scored for the first time this postseason.
It was only the fourth game for Heiskanen since missing the last 32 regular-season games and first 10 playoff games because of left knee surgery. He scored a wrister from near the boards just inside the blue line.
Duchene got his goal after his initial shot went off teammate Roope Hintz, who was laid out on the ice after getting knocked down. The puck went right back to Duchene, who then flicked it into the net.
“The first one that hit him, I’m like, this is kind of par for the course this postseason for me. If there’s something that could go wrong, it did, and then it comes back and goes in,” Duchene said. “I couldn’t believe I still had room. Kind of a funny one. But it feels good.”
The Stars won their seventh consecutive home game this postseason, a first since the franchise moved to Dallas in 1993. The Stars also have won back-to-back series openers after losing eight consecutive Game 1s.
