Oilers’ Game 1 Collapse to Stars Forces Urgent Fix Ahead of Game 2

With a 3-1 lead and two periods of great hockey in their back pocket, the Edmonton Oilers were in full control heading into the third period of Game 1 in the Western Conference Final. But in a stunning collapse, the Oilers surrendered five unanswered goals to the Dallas Stars — including three on the penalty kill — en route to a devastating 6-3 loss.

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“It’s a tough pill to swallow,” said Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner after the game. Skinner finished with 22 saves on 27 shots for a .815 save percentage, a stat line that’s already drawing criticism after two straight shutouts against the Vegas Golden Knights in the previous series. How did a goaltender go from being so good to being so bad? The answer is that the breakdown wasn’t solely on the netminder.

Two goals — by Mikael Granlund and Matt Duchene — were stoppable, but the rest came on screens, deflections, and breakdowns that left Skinner exposed.

Oilers Were “Humbled” by the Stars for 20 Minutes

“You always think you’ve figured it out, and then you get humbled in a hurry,” head coach Kris Knoblauch said after the loss. He pointed to undisciplined play as a significant contributing factor, as Edmonton took a string of avoidable penalties early in the third that turned the tide of the game.

The Oilers allowed three power-play goals in just 5:26 during a disastrous six-minute stretch that saw their lead evaporate. Dallas, now boasting a lethal 34.9% power play in the playoffs, made the Oilers kill look lost and broken.

“We have to be better in that department, all of us, to a man,” said Darnell Nurse, one of Edmonton’s top penalty killers. “Whether it’s a won battle, a clear, a block—whatever play has to be made on the PK, we have to make it. And we didn’t.”

The loss spoiled Edmonton’s excellent start. Leon Draisaitl opened the scoring with his 11th goal of the postseason, and the Oilers played with pace and physicality through the first two periods. But that energy and execution vanished under pressure. It was a different feeling for Edmonton as they’d been the third-period comeback kings throughout these playoffs.

Can the Oilers Turn This Around?

The good news is that the Oilers know they can outplay Dallas. Former Oilers defenseman Chris Pronger, now an analyst, said, “Gut-wrenching loss for #LetsGoOilers last night, but they have the template on how they need to play for 60 minutes + to beat the Stars. I am looking for them to clean up the discipline issues in Game 2 to go back to EDM with a split in the series.”

Pete Blackburn of What Chaos Show said, “The Oilers absolutely love overcoming hurdles & adversity. If there are no hurdles & adversity, they absolutely love creating some themselves.” In other words, the Oilers sometimes need to get slapped in the face and woken up. That happened in the final frame of Wednesday’s game and if they can avoid a collapse moving forward, they’ll be OK.

If the Oilers hope to bounce back and leave Dallas with a series split, they’ll need to either clean up their penalty kill or stay out of the box entirely.

Next: Oilers Must Avoid a Defensive Unraveling When Ekholm Returns