"As bad as it's been": McDavid breaks down Oilers' second period collapse
The Edmonton Oilers threw away a golden opportunity in last night’s 5-3 loss in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final.
It was as perfect a start as you could ask from the Oilers. They had the Dallas Stars on the ropes after the first 20 minutes, carrying a 2-0 lead on the scoreboard and dominating the shot clock by a 10-3 margin. All in all, it very well could have been the team’s best start to a game all postseason.
And then it all fell apart in the second period. Dallas scored three unanswered goals in the first 10 minutes of the middle frame and Edmonton’s 2-0 lead turned into a 3-2 deficit. The team was able to tie it up before eventually losing it in the third period.
“Not sure where those 10, 15 minutes come from but it’s as bad as it’s been throughout the playoffs,” a visibly disappointed Connor McDavid told reporters after the game. “I thought [Dallas] went up a couple levels and we went down a few levels and, honestly, you see the difference.”
"I thought they went up a couple levels & we went down a few levels."
McDavid on the momentum shifts in tonight’s 5-3 loss at @RogersPlace. @Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/XQKj6Ys3cE
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) May 28, 2024
Was it a case of being overconfident? That seems unlikely as the Oilers have been notorious for blowing leads in these playoffs. The same situation happened in Game 1 against the Stars as they let up a 2-0 lead in the final 40 minutes and had to scratch and claw for the win in double OT.
This team should have learnt by now that they can’t be sitting back on leads and McDavid knows it.
“We don’t go up by two and say, ‘Let’s hold this all the way through for the next 50 minutes.’ We’re obviously trying to keep playing and we let one get away there,” the Oilers captain added.
Every goal matters in a series as tight as this one. Edmonton has gone through more than enough one-period collapses throughout the postseason to understand this. When you’re facing a team as good as Dallas in the Conference Final, a push-back should not take the team by surprise.
If the Oilers can’t figure out how to hold onto a lead, their season will come to a premature end. It’s as simple as that.