Oilers-Stars Game 4 takeaways, early look at Game 5 matchup

The Edmonton Oilers confronted a 2-1 sequence deficit heading into Sport 4, and after two Dallas Stars objectives within the first 5:29 of the sport, it regarded like that would develop to 3-1.

Then the tide turned, considerably.

Ryan McLeod and Evan Bouchard scored within the first, adopted by objectives from Mattias Janmark and Leon Draisaitl within the second — and an empty-net capper from Mattias Ekholm for good measure. The sequence is now 2-2 and headed again to Dallas for Sport 5 on Friday (8:30 p.m. ET, TNT).

What stood out probably the most from this recreation? What traits will proceed? And who’re the important thing gamers to observe with the sequence now all the way down to a best-of-3?

Oilers grade: A-

Sport 4 was the proper encapsulation of the Oilers.They’d a horrible begin, happening 2-0 within the first 5:29 of a must-win recreation. They roared again to attain 5 unanswered objectives, managed play by limiting Dallas to 22 pictures, killed two energy performs and scored a shorthanded objective. Goalie Stuart Skinner regarded like he was about to crumble however made key saves — together with an ideal one on Tyler Seguin — to make sure Dallas did not rating that third objective.

No crew within the postseason can look as unhealthy and nearly as good because the Oilers, often in the identical 20 minutes.

Coach Kris Knoblauch additionally deserves his flowers for shaking up his roster for Sport 5. He swapped in forwards Corey Perry and Ryan McLeod, in addition to defenseman Philip Broberg; and swapped out forwards Sam Carrick and Warren Foegele, in addition to defenseman Vincent Desharnais. As soon as once more, Knoblauch pushed the correct buttons: McLeod scored Edmonton’s first objective to chop the Dallas result in 2-1, on an help from Perry; and their line with Leon Draisaitl outshot the Stars 6-1 whereas on the ice at 5-on-5.

The Oilers credit score Knoblauch with saving their season. He is continued these heroics within the playoffs.

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Oilers take lead with 2 objectives in 51 seconds

Mattias Janmark and Leon Draisaitl rating in lower than a minute of one another to present the Oilers a 4-2 lead over the Stars.

Stars grade: C-

Blowing a 2-0 first-period lead wasn’t the issue. Watching the Oilers rating two objectives in 51 seconds — a Mattias Janmark shorthanded objective and Leon Draisaitl’s tenth of the postseason — wasn’t the issue.

The issue was simply how meekly the Stars misplaced Sport 4 in Edmonton. Dallas had one high-danger shot try within the third interval towards Stuart Skinner.

No ardour, no pushback. Now the Oilers have new life within the sequence.

What we discovered in Sport 4

Goalies could make stick saves even after they do not have sticks of their fingers.

Late within the first interval, Stars goalie Jake Oettinger misplaced his stick whereas scrambling to make two saves on an Edmonton energy play. Oilers winger Zach Hyman nudged the stick together with his skate again off of Oettinger, and it will definitely settled with the stick blade draped throughout the objective line.

Connor McDavid bought the puck to Oettinger’s proper, noticed some daylight between the goalie and the web and fired the puck … instantly off the deserted stick and out of hurt’s means for Dallas. McDavid had a glance of shocked disbelief on the bench in a 2-2 recreation.

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‘Unbelievable!’ Jake Oettinger’s unattended stick one way or the other blocks objective

Jake Oettinger’s stick one way or the other is positioned in the correct path to dam the Oilers from taking a lead within the first interval.

Based on the NHL’s official scoresheet, it counted as a missed shot by McDavid reasonably than a save for Oettinger, which we consider is a critical underestimation of Otter’s precognitive powers.

Gamers to observe in Sport 5

Darnell Nurse. The Edmonton defenseman was a goal of derision regionally after Sport 3, with some brazenly questioning his future with the crew based mostly on his ineffectiveness. He was on the ice for the Stars’ first two objectives, together with an Esa Lindell shot that deflected off Nurse and into the web to make it 2-0.

However he stored battling. He assisted on McLeod’s objective. He was a bodily presence. He delivered 12 hits however did not take a minor penalty in 19:19 of ice time. It was a vital efficiency for an vital participant.

Jason Robertson. Was the Roberts-issance one and finished? The Stars winger went 10 playoff video games with out a objective earlier than tallying a hat trick in Sport 3, thanks partially to the return of Roope Hintz. However Robertson was a minus-2 with no factors in Sport 4, the sixth time within the postseason he was held with out a level and the seventh by which he had a minus-rating.

With the Stars nonetheless on the lookout for their first power-play objective of the sequence, they want the Robertson who confirmed up for Sport 3, with the motion shifting again to Dallas for Sport 5.

Huge query for Sport 5: Is Chris Tanev OK?

The Stars defenseman blocked an Evander Kane shot together with his proper foot with 7:38 left within the second interval, and didn’t return to the sport with a lower-body harm. A key acquisition on the commerce deadline, Tanev has been a vital a part of the Stars’ high 4 on protection, averaging 23:26 of ice time per recreation.

He has 68 blocked pictures to steer all gamers within the postseason. Dallas is hoping he’ll be obtainable to dam a couple of extra in Sport 5. If not, it is a huge blow to the thinnest space of the Stars’ lineup, and will impression their penalty kill, which is the very last thing you need towards the Oilers.

After the sport, coach Pete DeBoer stated “fingers crossed” that Tanev is OK for Sport 5.