While fans in Edmonton and Dallas may appreciate having `friends in low places,` in the Western Conference Final, only one team currently holds the `high ground.` That advantage now belongs to the Edmonton Oilers after their decisive 6-1 victory in Game 3 on Sunday, which gives them a 2-1 series lead.
Entering Sunday with the series tied, the primary goal for Game 3 was to establish a firm lead in the conference finals. The Oilers accomplished this emphatically, with five different players contributing multiple points. For the Dallas Stars, the Game 3 loss marks the second time this postseason they have trailed in a series, the only other instance being after Game 1 against the Colorado Avalanche in the first round.
With the Oilers now in control of the series, what are the implications moving forward? What changes must the Stars implement before Game 4 to return home with the series tied, rather than facing potential elimination? Ryan S. Clark and Greg Wyshynski delve into these questions, examining the path ahead for two teams that not only met in the conference finals last season but have collectively appeared in every Western Conference Final since 2020.
Edmonton Oilers: Grade A
While outcomes can still change significantly before the playoffs conclude, there`s a strong argument to be made that this was Edmonton`s most crucial game of the postseason so far. The Oilers have delivered numerous strong performances, including Game 3 against the Los Angeles Kings in the first round and their final two games against the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round.
However, what elevated their Game 3 performance against Dallas was their ability to balance strong defensive play with the knowledge that they didn`t require a shutout to win. The Stars managed 37 shots and 13 high-danger chances at 5-on-5 but scored only once. Connor McDavid has consistently asserted that the Oilers are capable defensively, a fact increasingly evident over their last five games. Sunday`s game proved they could secure a victory without relying solely on Stuart Skinner`s goaltending or a perfect defensive structure to completely blank the opponent. — Ryan S. Clark
Dallas Stars: Grade C+
The final score doesn`t fully reflect large portions of this game, allowing Dallas coach Pete DeBoer to extract some positives despite the numerous negatives and mitigating factors. Having Roope Hintz warm up but ultimately unable to play due to a foot injury sustained in Game 2 was clearly demoralizing. Similarly, the on-ice officials missing a delay-of-game penalty on Brett Kulak in the first period, followed just 10 seconds later by Evan Bouchard opening the scoring, was undoubtedly deflating.
To their credit, the Stars played their 5-on-5 game better in Game 3 than in any previous game this series, at least before Edmonton significantly widened the score in the third period. While the desired outcome wasn`t achieved – a loss is a loss, and one by such a margin is hard to digest – their second-period performance and contributions from some previously quiet depth players offer a slight glimmer of hope. Nevertheless, there`s no denying Edmonton is firmly in control, and the Stars desperately need to find a way to beat Stuart Skinner, a challenge I honestly didn`t expect to be discussing at this stage of the playoffs. — Greg Wyshynski
Three Stars of Game 3
1. Zach Hyman, LW, Oilers
Recorded two goals and an assist, marking his seventh career multi-goal playoff game. His second goal was the Oilers` fourth off the rush in the game, the most by any team in a single game this postseason. Hyman also finished the night with an impressive plus-5 rating.
2. Evan Bouchard / Brett Kulak, D, Oilers
Bouchard scored his sixth goal of the postseason, and this defensive pair was on the ice for the first two Edmonton goals. At 5-on-5 throughout this postseason, the Oilers have outscored opponents 7-1 when Bouchard and Kulak are together, with a 5-0 advantage in this specific series.
3. Connor McDavid, C, Oilers
Despite ongoing discussions about his lack of goals (which felt peculiar considering his 20 points in 13 games and plus-7 rating entering Game 3 despite having only three goals), McDavid silenced critics by netting two goals himself, his sixth career multi-goal playoff game. Watching McDavid drive towards the net with the puck on a rush, like a 3-on-1, truly creates nightmares for opposing teams. — Arda Öcal
Players to Watch in Game 4
Zach Hyman, LW, Oilers
Assessing Hyman purely by goals might lead one to focus on his drop from 16 goals last postseason to just three entering Game 3 of the conference finals. However, another perspective highlights him as the most physical player on an Oilers team that is among the largest and heaviest in the NHL. Hyman led the NHL with 99 hits coming into Game 3, and he maintained that physicality Sunday with a team-leading six hits in a game where the Oilers continued their punishing style, registering 47 hits total. Combining this physicality with his two goals and three points in Game 3 reinforces the idea that this Oilers team possesses more dimensions than last season and potentially could be even better than the team that reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2024. — Clark
Jake Oettinger, G, Stars
This is the first time the Dallas goaltender has experienced a two-game losing streak in the playoffs this year. Much of what transpired in Game 3 wasn`t entirely his fault – including a brilliant goal by McDavid and a clean breakaway goal by Hyman among Edmonton`s tallies. However, outside of the third period in Game 1, he hasn`t been the difference-maker for the Stars in this series. Oettinger entered the game leading the playoffs with 5.58 goals saved above expected, according to Stathletes. The Stars have historically relied on him to bounce back after tough games. Yet, this is his third game in the series with a save percentage below .900. As the Stars try to build on some positive aspects from Game 3, they desperately need Oettinger to provide a solid foundation for their comeback effort – and perhaps quiet those `U.S. backup!` chants from the Oilers fans in the process. — Wyshynski
Big Questions for Game 4
Are the Oilers about to replicate their performance against the Golden Knights?
Simply put, the Oilers have developed a reputation for ending opponents` hopes. Teams in a championship window that haven`t yet won a title are constantly assessed on their growth. What the Oilers did to the Stars a year ago in the conference finals by winning the final three games demonstrated their ability to close out a series from behind. This postseason, Edmonton has displayed a calculated, almost cold-blooded efficiency in dispatching opponents.
The Golden Knights believed they found an opening by winning Game 3 with a last-second goal. They didn`t score again for the remainder of the playoffs, despite being a top-five scoring team in the regular season. Breaking out for six goals to start this series seemed to signal that the Stars might have found their offensive stride. Since then? They`ve scored only once in the past six periods, raising questions about what has happened to yet another team that was a top-five scoring club in the regular season. — Clark
Can Dallas make Edmonton uncomfortable?
Our colleague Mark Messier highlighted a key point between periods of Game 3: the Stars have yet to do anything that truly disrupts the game of Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. This extends to the rest of the Oilers roster as well. Aside from an unusual sequence resulting in three power-play goals in the third period of Game 1, there have been very few instances where the Stars have consistently controlled play for extended periods or genuinely threatened Edmonton at 5-on-5.
They did manage this for a short time in Game 3 with a dominant second period, holding advantages in shot attempts (+14), scoring chances (+11), and high-danger shot attempts (10-1). However, they were already trailing 2-0 at that point, only managed to score one goal themselves, and then McDavid delivered a crushing blow with a goal just 19 seconds before the end of the second period.
The Stars desperately need to get a lead. They need sustained offensive zone time. They need their rush game to be effective; Stuart Skinner`s save percentage on shots off the rush was .897 entering the game. Edmonton is playing with the confidence of a potential champion. Dallas must find a way to inject some doubt into their opponent`s mindset, or this series could conclude very quickly. — Wyshynski
Rupert Hartwell 
Benedict Kingsley