The Edmonton Oilers are sending a clear message in the Western Conference Final: they can beat you any way you want to play.
After grinding out a 3–0 win in a tight Game 2, the Oilers blew the roof off Rogers Place in Game 3, torching the Dallas Stars 6–1 in a fast, physical, firewagon game. Edmonton now leads the series 2–1 and looks like the better team in almost every phase—especially at five-on-five, where they’ve outscored Dallas 9–3 through three games.
Connor McDavid led the charge Sunday with two goals and now tops the NHL playoff scoring chart with 22 points. But this wasn’t just about Edmonton’s top guns. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins racked up three assists. Zach Hyman added two points and 10 hits. Stuart Skinner, steady and composed, stopped 35 shots.
“They brought a ton of speed,” Skinner said. “But we just battled.”
While the Oilers have struggled on the power play, they’re thriving at even strength—and it hasn’t mattered that Dallas holds the edge in special teams. The Stars outshot Edmonton 36–24 in Game 3 and had more offensive zone time, but couldn’t crack Skinner when it counted.
Dallas coach Pete DeBoer pushed back on questions about five-on-five play, citing his team’s injuries. But injuries don’t explain a 6–1 scoreline.
McDavid summed it up: “You have to win games different ways.”
Right now, the Oilers are proving they can.
If Dallas doesn’t have an answer in Game 4, this series could end quickly—and so might the Stars’ latest bid to break through the Western Final.
Game 4 goes Wednesday night at Rogers Place.
