Oilers seeing a "different beast" with Stars early in series
The Edmonton Oilers are now deadlocked at 1-1 with the Dallas Stars in their Western Conference Final series.
After taking home a dramatic double-OT victory in the opening game of the series, the Oilers were met with a suffocating Stars team in Game 2. They were limited to just a single first-period goal in a 3-1 loss.
That is just the second time throughout the playoffs that Edmonton registered a single goal in a game and the first time they lost with just one goal. Oilers forward Derek Ryan met with the media this morning before flying back to the Alberta capital to discuss just how different it is to face this fast Stars team as compared to the heavy Canucks they played in round two.
“Definitely a different beast,” Ryan told a scrum of reporters. “Vancouver [made it] really, really hard to get to the net; they had big guys that were physical, and they play a different defensive style.
“Dallas is a little bit different. Obviously still very hard to get to the net, but they’re very mobile. We’re trying to finish our checks on them and kind of stay above them to prevent them from getting into the rush.”
"I think we’re doing a good job of creating & defending."
Ryan shares his thoughts on the first two games before the team travels back to Edmonton. @Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/yOS0c5Z46q
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) May 26, 2024
This isn’t to say that the Stars blueline isn’t intimidating. Nobody on Dallas’ defence is under six foot one, and their top guy, Miro Heiskenen, stands at six foot two. They currently are without their most imposing defender, with the six-foot-seven Jani Hakanpää out with an injury.
What the Stars do bring that both the Canucks and Kings lack is an ability to be that big but also move the puck up the ice much faster. Ryan alluded to their strategy of keeping those D-men out of the rush.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins added that the Stars make the game much faster than their previous opponents.
“The puck just moves so quick out there, it’s a little different than even the LA series,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “I think [Dallas’] idea is to get it up as quick as possible, our idea is to move it as quick as possible so a little bit less physicality.
“It’s knowing that they move the puck so quick and they want to get on the transition so fast, we have to be aware of that.”
"We’re 1-1 going home so we should be excited."
Nugent-Hopkins speaks as the #Oilers head to @RogersPlace for Games 3 & 4. @Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/AsMkqRm9na
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) May 26, 2024
It’s looked like the Oilers have been able to counterpunch that game plan from the Stars for parts of both games in this series so far. Edmonton dominated the opening period of Game 2 before letting the Stars regain control in the final 40 minutes, and they also opened up a 2-0 lead against Dallas in Game 1.
As the team heads back to Edmonton for Game 3, the hope is that the crowd can help swing that momentum back in the Oilers’ favour.
“It’s a little more fun when your atmosphere is cheering for you, and the crowd is behind you,” Nugent-Hopkins explained. “We’re excited to get back home.”
This series is now at the same point each of their last two have gotten at Game 3. The Oilers were able to find a way to take control against the Kings in round one but had some difficulty doing so against the Canucks in the second round.
We’ll see how they fare a third time when Game 3 comes to Rogers Place tomorrow night.
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