By STEPHEN HAWKINS
DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Stars powered their method to a series-opening victory of their Western Convention last rematch with the Edmonton Oilers.
And it was fast turnaround.
Former San Jose Shark Mikael Granlund, Miro Heiskanen and Matt Duchene scored power-play objectives in a 5:26 span early within the third interval, when the Stars overcame a two-goal deficit in a 6-3 victory Wednesday night time.
“It started with a power play,” Duchene mentioned. “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 interval with a person benefit from a penalty that carried over from the second. Heiskanen scored 32 seconds in on a shot from close to the blue line, Granlund tied it at 3 and Duchene put the Stars forward to stick with a second-effort rating.
“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 mentioned. “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.”
Tyler Seguin had two objectives and an help for the Stars. Esa Lindell added a empty-netter that went virtually your entire size of the ice for his or her first five-goal third interval in a playoff sport. Jake Oettinger stopped 24 photographs.
Recreation 2 is Friday night time in Dallas.
Dallas went 0 for 14 on energy performs in shedding the West last final yr in six video games, and gave up two short-handed objectives within the course of. The Stars additionally did not convert with a person benefit solely 7 1/2 minutes into this opener, however rapidly turned that round within the third interval.
Leon Draisaitl had a objective and two assists for the rested Oilers, who performed for the primary time since wrapping up their second-round sequence per week earlier in Recreation 5 at Vegas. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a power-play objective and an help, defenseman Evan Bouchard had his fifth objective and Connor McDavid two assists.
Dallas Stars middle Mikael Granlund (64) celebrates a objective with teammates Jason Robertson (21) and Mason Marchment through the third interval in Recreation 1 of the Western Convention finals within the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs towards the Edmonton Oilers, Wednesday, Could 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Picture/LM Otero)
Stuart Skinner, who had misplaced his beginning job in these playoffs earlier than Calvin Pickard received damage within the final sequence, stopped 22 of 27 photographs. 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 mentioned. “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 each scored for the primary time this postseason.
It was solely the fourth sport for Heiskanen since lacking the final 32 regular-season video games and first 10 playoff video games due to left knee surgical procedure. He scored a wrister from close to the boards simply contained in the blue line.
Duchene received his objective after his preliminary shot went off teammate Roope Hintz, who was laid out on the ice after getting knocked down. The puck went proper again to Duchene, who then flicked it into the web.
“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 mentioned. “I couldn’t believe I still had room. Kind of a funny one. But it feels good.”
The Stars received their seventh consecutive house sport this postseason, a primary because the franchise moved to Dallas in 1993. The Stars even have received back-to-back sequence openers after shedding eight consecutive Recreation 1s.
Initially Printed: Could 21, 2025 at 9:45 PM PDT
