After finding a much-needed opening, the Dallas Stars made sure Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the Edmonton Oilers couldn't do the same. The result? A thrilling 3-1 series-tying win Saturday in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals at the American Airlines Center.
Key Highlights
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Early Goals and Defense: The Stars took an early 1-0 lead just 3:39 into the first period with captain Jamie Benn scoring on a 2-on-1. Edmonton's Connor Brown quickly tied it up with his first goal of the postseason less than a minute later. Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger was a wall, stopping 15 of the 16 shots he faced in the first period alone.
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Mason Marchment’s Crucial Goal: The defining moment came early in the third period when Mason Marchment deflected a shot from Ryan Suter, giving the Stars a 2-1 lead. Marchment's goal allowed the Stars to gain a firm grip and limit the Oilers to just five shots in the final frame. “I think we just got to our game,” Marchment said. “When we play our game, we’re a hard team to play against when we do the right things at the right times.”
Defensive Masterclass
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Shutting Down Top Players: One major discussion point from the Stars' 3-2 double-overtime loss on Thursday was how they let McDavid find time and space. But in Game 2, the Stars effectively silenced the top four postseason point leaders. McDavid, held to one shot, and Draisaitl, with just two shots, saw his 13-game point streak end. Defenseman Evan Bouchard managed three shots, while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins didn’t record a single shot in his 18:47 of ice time.
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Stars' Stellar Blocking: The Stars showcased a robust defensive performance, finishing with 22 blocked shots. Even with their one-goal lead in the third period, they remained aggressive, finishing with 10 shots while holding the Oilers to half that amount.
Goaltender's Perspective
- Oettinger's Take: “I’d rather get work than sitting there and then all of a sudden, they get 2-on-1s and breakaways,” said Oettinger, who finished with 28 saves. “Sometimes, those are even harder — the games you get 16 shots and 16 chances compared to 40 shots.”
Strategic Lessons
- Coach DeBoer’s Insight: Stars coach Peter DeBoer credited the team’s performance to a lesson learned in the second round against the Colorado Avalanche. “Getting the lead, it was critical. That allows you to stay above them and manage the puck,” DeBoer explained. “Since Game 1 against Colorado when we blew the 3-0 lead, we’ve been really locked in those situations and have done a really good job.”
Closing Moments
- Final Push and Empty Netter: With the Oilers' coach Kris Knoblauch pulling Stuart Skinner, Esa Lindell scored an empty netter with 2:03 left in the third. Even when Skinner was pulled again, leading to a 6-on-5 and then a 6-on-4, the Oilers struggled to get a shot on net. The Stars' defense held strong, ensuring the win.
Both Marchment and Oettinger were composed when discussing their defensive effort, especially against McDavid. “Guys are choosing to be on the D-side and when you have the best player of all time probably on the other side, those are the decisions that can make or break with them scoring or not,” Oettinger said. Marchment added, “Like Jake said, he’s the best player in the world. It’s going to take a full team effort, and I thought for the most part we did a great job tonight.”
Goal prevention has become a hallmark of this Stars' playoff run, which has allowed them to reach the conference finals for the third time in five years. They’ve allowed only 2.33 goals per game, the fourth-lowest mark of any team in the playoffs and the lowest among the four remaining teams.
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