Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had another power-play goal for the Oilers, who go home for Game 3 on Sunday after avoiding an 0-2 start on the road for the second time this postseason.

Center Connor McDavid won nine of his 16 faceoffs and tallied one assist, one takeaway and a key shot block in the third period that helped seal the game. Defenseman Evan Bouchard chipped in with two assists and three blocked shots as the Oilers suffocated the Stars down the stretch.

Sometimes a best-of-seven series can behave like a marathon with too many twists and turns and hills to count. And other times, it’s strange how a fan’s thoughts can shift from elation to devastation about a series in a matter of,

Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin (91) and Edmonton Oilers center Mattias Janmark (13) face-off for the puck during the second period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero) AP

The superstars were active throughout Game 1 of the NHL Western Conference Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars.

Things got ugly in Game 2 between the Dallas Stars and the Edmonton Oilers, and not just on the scoreboard. In the Stars’ 3-0 shutout loss to the Oilers on Friday, Edmonton defenseman Darnell Nurse added both insult and injury with a fairly blatant slashing penalty against Stars’ forward Roope Hintz.

Tensions were clearly high, and that was on display most at the end of the game when a brawl broke out between the two teams. Stars youngster Lian Bichsel and Oilers veteran Corey Perry exchanged some blows as gloves dropped and officials attempted to stop the action.