The Dallas Stars kicked off their Western Conference final rematch against the Edmonton Oilers with a bang, securing a 6-3 victory in a thrilling game on Wednesday night. The third period saw the Stars starting with a two-goal deficit but a man advantage thanks to a penalty carrying over from the second period. Miro Heiskanen, Mikael Granlund, and Matt Duchene made the most of this opportunity by scoring power-play goals in a span of just 5 minutes and 26 seconds early in the third period, turning the game around in their favor.
Heiskanen wasted no time, scoring a goal just 32 seconds into the period, setting the stage for Granlund to tie it up. Duchene then sealed the deal with a fantastic second-effort score, putting the Stars ahead 4-3. Tyler Seguin was a standout player for Dallas, contributing two goals and an assist, while Esa Lindell added an empty-netter that traveled almost the entire length of the ice. The game was an intense showdown between the two teams, setting the stage for an exciting Game 2 to follow on Friday night in Dallas.
Despite their struggles on power plays in the previous year’s West final, where they went 0 for 14, the Stars showed significant improvement in this game. They failed to convert on a man advantage early in the game but quickly turned things around in the third period. The Oilers, led by Leon Draisaitl with a goal and two assists, put up a tough fight after a week-long break since their second-round series against Vegas. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and defenseman Evan Bouchard also made valuable contributions, with Connor McDavid adding two assists to the mix. The stage is set for an intense and unpredictable series between these two powerhouse teams in the Western Conference final rematch.
