Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA – Photo by Icon sport
Edmonton Oilers vs Dallas Stars Game 2: Western Conference Finals
The Edmonton Oilers stole the home-court advantage in the series opener and now have a chance to get really close to the NHL Finals when they visit the Dallas Stars tonight at American Airlines Center.
The Oilers are in a promising situation
The Edmonton Oilers had a great start to the series, winning the opener in Dallas. After a scoreless opening period, the Oilers scored twice in the first five minutes of the second period. Leon Draisaitl broke the tie before Zach Hyman made it 2-0 Oilers. Then Edmonton could not convert any of their opportunities, and the game went to overtime. The Stars definitely got the momentum at that point, but Connor McDavid scored the game-winner 32 seconds into the second overtime. Drainsaitl leads the scorers in the playoff with 25 points, two more than McDavid.
The Stars need to bounce back
The Dallas Stars finished the regular season on top of the Western Conference, which gave them a home court advantage. However, they lost the opening game of each of the three series so far in the playoffs. Many believed that they learned the lesson, but again, they are 1-0 down. Dallas found themselves in a two-goal deficit near the midpoint of Game 1 but managed to tie the score by the end of regulation. Tyler Seguin scored twice in the final five minutes of the second and third periods to send the game to overtime. However, the Stars could not score and eventually got punished for that. Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen are on top of the scoring list for the Stars with 13 goals each.
Betting Trends
The Stars are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games overall, 10-6 SU in their last 16 home games against the Oilers and 8-4 SU in the last 12 games against teams from the Western Conference. They have played under the total goal line in 13 of their last 17 games overall, 10 of their last 13 home games and 6 of their last 7 games against teams from the Pacific Division. The Oilers are 8-3 SU in their last 11 games overall and 5-2 SU in their last 7 games on the road. Edmonton played under the total goal line in 8 of their last 10 games against teams from the Central Division.
Prediction and Conclusion
We expected nothing but a tight series, and the opening game proved us right. Both teams had many chances in overtime, and the Oilers eventually took the series lead. They have been very efficient on the road this season, and the Stars need to be very careful going into Game 2. Dallas managed to get back from a deficit in the previous two series, but if they go 2-0 down against Edmonton, the season may be over for them. The Oilers are probably the most creative team in the league, and not even a defense like the Stars’ can handle them. Edmonton will continue their winning streak and get another W on the road in Dallas.
