Connor Brown found the back of the net after a harrowing encounter with a skate, while Stuart Skinner showcased his skills with 25 saves, marking his third shutout of the playoffs. The Edmonton Oilers triumphed over the Dallas Stars 3-0 in Game 2 on Friday night, leveling the Western Conference final series.
With just 4:37 remaining in the second period, Brown extended the Oilers' lead to 3-0, scoring just over a minute after defenseman Brett Kulak's deflected shot found its way into the net. This marked Brown's first goal in 36 games, a significant moment since his last tally on February 27.
Earlier in the second period, play was halted as Brown bled from a cut sustained when Mikael Granlund's skate inadvertently struck him while Granlund fell near the boards. The incident underscored the physical nature of the game.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins contributed another power-play goal for the Oilers, who avoided an 0-2 series deficit on the road for the second time this postseason. The team now heads home for Game 3 on Sunday.
Skinner's performance was notable; he has now recorded four career playoff shutouts, including back-to-back shutouts against Vegas in the previous round.
On the other end, Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger managed to stop 22 shots but faced a relentless Oilers offense.
In a concerning moment for the Stars, forward Roope Hintz exited the ice without putting weight on his left leg after being slashed by Edmonton's Darnell Nurse early in the third period. Hintz fell in front of the Edmonton net and immediately reached for his foot. After a review, Nurse received a minor penalty for slashing.
Nugent-Hopkins opened the scoring just 5:51 into the game, tipping in a shot from Evan Bouchard that had deflected off Hintz's stick. This goal came during a power play following Granlund's boarding penalty.
This marked Nugent-Hopkins' second consecutive game with a power-play goal; he had also scored in a Game 4 victory last year when the Oilers eliminated Dallas in six games during the Western final.
Leon Draisaitl provided a secondary assist on Nugent-Hopkins' goal, while Connor McDavid assisted Kulak's goal. Both Draisaitl and McDavid, who each surpassed 100 points during the regular season, now have accumulated 20 points in these playoffs, tying them with Stars forward Mikko Rantanen for the league lead.
McDavid's achievement marks his fourth consecutive postseason with at least 20 points, tying him with NHL legends Sergei Fedorov, Bryan Trottier, and Mike Bossy for the longest such streak in history. Draisaitl reached this milestone for the second consecutive year.
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