The Edmonton Oilers came out flying in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final, overwhelming the Dallas Stars with a dominant 6-1 victory to take a 2-1 series lead. It was an all-around performance that showcased Edmonton's depth, top-end talent, and commitment to structured, relentless hockey.
Unlike Game 2’s more methodical 3-0 win, Game 3 was a demonstration of just how explosive the Oilers can be when firing on all cylinders. From the puck drop, Edmonton controlled the pace, dictated the play, and never allowed the Stars to establish any rhythm.
The scoring started in the first period after sustained offensive zone pressure. Evan Bouchard blasted a slap shot from the point that found its way through traffic at 14:02 to give Edmonton a 1-0 lead. The goal was Bouchard’s sixth of the playoffs, and it came courtesy of a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Brett Kulak.
Just 36 seconds later, the Oilers doubled their lead when Connor McDavid broke free and snapped home his fourth of the postseason. The play was perfectly set up by Nugent-Hopkins again, who is quietly putting together a sold series against the Stars.
Although Dallas cut the lead in half in the second period with Jason Robertson’s first goal of the playoffs, it didn’t faze Edmonton. The Oilers responded in the dying seconds of the period, with McDavid burying his second of the game and setup by Evan Bouchard.
The third period was all Edmonton, as they continued to press and attack. Zach Hyman scored twice, once on a breakaway set up by Nugent-Hopkins and Kane, and another on a tip-in following more chaos in front of the Dallas net. John Klingberg added the final dagger with a power-play goal at 17:40, blasting a shot past Jake Oettinger for his first of the playoffs. The goal was assisted by Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane.
Defensively, the Oilers were once again excellent. They kept the Stars to the outside for most of the night and made life manageable for Stuart Skinner, who was rock-solid once again. Skinner turned aside 34 of 35 shots and looked locked in from the opening faceoff.
With contributions from every part of the lineup, McDavid and Bouchard offensively, Skinner in net, and the bottom six controlling the pace when called upon, this was as complete a win as the Oilers have delivered all postseason.
Game 4 will be back at Rogers Place, and if Edmonton brings this same energy and execution, the Stars could be in real trouble.