The Victory Green Gang are two for two on their wild ride through Western Canada.
The Dallas Stars rode into Edmonton for the second night of a back-to-back against the Oilers. And as much as the Copper and Blue struggle, any team underestimates them at its own risk.
Could the good guys get a road streak going? The tale is in the tape….
First Period
The game started with both teams trading hits and blocking pucks, but not much in the way of shots on goal. So when Matt Duchene broke through just a minute before the halfway mark, it was welcome in every possible way. Mason Marchment and Esa Lindell got credit for the helpers on this beauty.
The bonus on Dutchy’s goal video is a nice showcase of Scott Wedgewood’s performance. His massive save on what should have been an easy apple for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins gave the Stars the chance to draw first blood on the way back – and Tyler Seguin’s line delivered.
All good things must end, though, and the Oilers managed to tie the game before the period was over. Evander Kane got the equalizer from an assist by Nuge with three minutes left in the frame. (Was Zach Hyman offside? You tell me….)
Once the SoG seal was broken, both teams started doubling up on them – especially Edmonton, who were looking keen to take a lead into the tunnel. But the Wedgewall stood, and the Stars ended a pretty darn good first, especially for playing a back-to-back.
Shots on goal (First Period):
Stars – 9
Oilers – 13
Second Period
Second verse, same as the first? Not really – it was better, because Joe Pavelski…well, because Joe Pavelski. Look what he did to get the Stars’ lead back at just 3:25 in. Roope Hintz and Miro Heiskanen put the Finnish on it with the primary and secondary assists.
Then came the first big test of the Stars’ resolve (and their legs, because as we’ve mentioned, this was the second game of a back-to-back). The Oilers got the first power play of the game after Craig Smith got called for tripping Kane. Could the suffocating Dallas penalty kill impose their will on Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl with the man advantage?
(Spoiler: Yes. Yes, they could.)
The period drama wasn’t over, because with seven minutes left, Marchment took a minor for slashing Derek Ryan. But the PK held up, with Wedgewood contributing a timely save on an Evan Bouchard slapper, and the lead held.
Then came a moment of truth of a different kind. The Stars got a power play of their own with 4:15 left after Kane took a hooking call against Duchene. You might be forgiven for worrying. Fortunately, Hintz was on the job. He grabbed the PPG with assists from Pavelski and Jamie Benn, and you could practically hear the sighs of relief from Stars fans everywhere.
It seemed too good to last, so of course it started to look as if it was. The Victory Green Gang, apparently caught in a bad change, took The Dumbest Penalty – too many men on the ice. Marchment was the designated sitter as McDavid, Draisaitl, Kane and Co. did their level best to get back within one goal before the end of the period.
But the kill kilt, Wedgewood withstood, and the Stars went back to the dressing room with a 3-1 lead.
Shots on goal (Second Period):
Stars – 9 (18 total)
Oilers – 11 (24 total)
Third Period
So now came a bit of piling on insurance, just in case. The Avengers Line decided it wasn’t done for the evening, and Hintz collected another goal, with Pavelski and Jason Robertson providing the tic-tac-toe assists these three are famous for.
That buffer was nice to have as the Stars and Oilers traded penalties (Nugent-Hopkins called for holding Wyatt Johnston, Mush taking two for hooking Vincent Desharnais). It was even nicer to have after all these penalties expired, and Sam Gagner walked in unassisted to get Edmonton’s second goal on the board at 10:34.
Now it was a matter of finishing the job. Could the Stars put the hammer down? Gagner almost single-handedly made it a game again when he scored again three minutes later, this time with an assist from Kane.
Now the Oilers poured on the pepper, ending up with nearly three times the Stars’ shots on goal for the period. They also pulled Stuart Skinner in the dying seconds, hoping to get to overtime with the 6-on-5 advantage, but the writing was already on the wall. The Stars won the day in regulation, 4-3.
Shots on goal (Third Period):
Stars – 9 (27 total)
Oilers – 26 (50 total)
The Canadian road trip continues – the Stars’ next stop on the Western swing is British Columbia, where they take on the Vancouver Canucks Saturday at 9 PM CT. See you then.