The Western Conference Final between the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers is now level at 1-1 after a thrilling start to the series. The first game featured plenty of drama, with both teams trading momentum and often conceding goals at crucial moments. It ended in overtime with a Canadian victory, forcing Dallas to respond in Game 2 to even the series. The Stars didn’t waste time—Jamie Benn opened the scoring with the first shot of the game. However, almost as soon as the announcer declared the goal and assists, the Oilers tied it up on just their second shot on goal. Notably, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were not involved; it was the lower lines that stepped up. Connor Brown outsmarted Jake Oettinger, matching his star teammates’ impact. From that point, Edmonton controlled the play, outshooting Dallas heavily. The Stars’ goaltender had to work hard, but Benn’s goal remained the only one for a while. Dallas created dangerous chances when they attacked, yet at the end of the first period, the Oilers had a four-to-one shot advantage (16-4).
Understanding that volume could turn into quality, the Stars came out much more aggressive in the second period. They improved their shot count and created direct threats on Stuart Skinner’s net, forcing the Edmonton goaltender to make key saves. Yevgeni Dadonov had a prime chance to put his team ahead but continued to struggle with finishing. Wyatt Johnston also had a moment—Skinner was beaten but the crossbar saved him. Late in the period, Edmonton regained momentum but couldn’t capitalize. The game seemed destined to be decided by a single goal. Early in the third, a Ryan Suter shot was tipped by Mason Marchment, changing trajectory and finding the net for the visitors. The Oilers tried everything to equalize, but Chris Knoblaugh pulled his goalie for a sixth attacker, which led to an empty-net goal from Esa Lindell to seal the win. Edmonton’s top stars McDavid and Draisaitl were held scoreless—McDavid had been quiet before in these playoffs, but Draisaitl snapped his point streak and will aim to start a new one in Game 3. McDavid noted after the game that he considered the road trip to Dallas successful, and it’s hard to disagree.
Betting odds for Game 3 (as of May 27, 2024):
– Edmonton Oilers win: 2.27 (BetBoom) to 2.32 (Liga Stavok)
– Dallas Stars win: 2.61 (Liga Stavok) to 2.78 (Olimpbet)