Callouts, Standouts, and Shoutouts: Oilers suffer 3rd period collapse in Game 1
May 22, 2025
May 23, 2025 by Ryan Lotsberg
The Edmonton Oilers made up for their third period collapse against the Dallas Stars in Game 1 with a thorough performance in Game 2. The Oilers got on the board first with a powerplay goal for the second game in a row. Then they took a 3-0 lead with two goals just 1:13 apart in the second period. The Oilers were able to fend off every push from the Stars in the third period to preserve their 3-0 advantage all the way to the end.
Callouts
The Stars only had two powerplays in the game, but both were bad penalties by the Oilers. Corey Perry got called for roughing during a post-whistle scrum that was fully initiated by Jake Walman. I don’t think it was him that pulled Colin Balckwell down, but he got the penalty anyway.
Darnell Nurse took a retaliatory slashing penalty against Roope Hintz early in the third period. Hintz cross-checked Nurse in the back in front of the Oilers net as the play was going the other way. Nurse turned around and slashed Hintz on top of his foot. Hintz went down in a heap holding onto his foot. He left the game and did not return. Nurse’s slash was reviewed to determine if it should’ve been called a major penalty or not. It was a hard, downward backhand slash; but certainly not anything that merited a major penalty. The correct call was made in the end. Regardless, it was an unnecessary penalty for Nurse to take. The Stars had just killed an Oilers powerplay, and a powerplay goal for them would’ve given them life, especially given what happened in Game 1.
Standouts
Stuart Skinner posted his third shutout in his last four games. That’s a remarkable achievement in the playoffs! He made 25 saves for the shutout. One of those saves was an incredible highlight reel save that robbed Esa Lindell of a sure goal using the heel of his stick. The rest of his saves looked fairly routine, and he looked comfortable in the crease all night long.
Shoutouts
I identified Connor Brown as an X factor for the Oilers in my Western Conference Final series preview. He scored a big goal to put the Oilers up 3-0 by going to the net and tipping one by Jake Oettinger. It was a lucky bounce, but you have to be good to be lucky. The Oilers need depth production to outscore the Stars at five-on-five, and that’s exactly what Brown brought in Game 2.
Brett Kulak also scored in Game 2. He accepted a pass from Connor McDavid, who was looking for a trailer on the play. Kulak had his initial shot attempt blocked, but he got the rebound and fired it home. It was his first goal of the playoffs. It’s nice to see Kulak get rewarded with a goal because he’s consistently reliable.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored a powerplay goal for the second straight game. He was in the right spot at the right time. An Evan Bouchard shot broke a Stars defender’s stick and bounced to Nugent-Hopkins at the top of the crease. He also added an assist when he took the shot that Brown deflected in.
I really liked Troy Stecher’s game in Game 2. He did a great job of being heavy on his stick and boxing out in front of the net on Mikael Granlund in the first period. It was another example of him playing more physically than you would expect. Stecher’s expected goals for percentage was 56.33%. He was also caught chirping Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson in the first period. That was before he did a legendary intermission interview with Jack Michaels and Bob Stauffer for 880 CHED.
Wrap
I said that Game 1 was the recipe that the Stars need for them to win the series. Game 2 was the recipe for the Oilers. They won the five-on-five goal share battle 2-0 (even though the Stars had the advantage in five-on-five shots and scoring chances), and they found a way to win the special teams battle as well. I believe that there is enough of a gap between these teams at five-on-five to say that if the Oilers win the special teams battle in a given game in this series, then they win that game.
Related: Callouts, Standouts, and Shoutouts: Oilers suffer 3rd period collapse in Game 1
That win puts the Oilers in great position heading home having earned a split in Dallas. Game 3 goes on Sunday afternoon.
