There was no third-period collapse this time.
Stuart Skinner and the Edmonton Oilers shut out the Dallas Stars 3-0 in Game 2 to earn a split in the first two games of the NHL Western Conference finals. For Skinner, the shutout was his third in five games since he was reinserted into the lineup following an injury to Calvin Pickard.
Skinner had lost his job in the first round after he was lit up by the Los Angeles Kings, but since his return, he has found his footing. He stopped all 24 shots he faced Friday night.
The Oilers held a 3-1 lead after two periods in Game 1 but wilted as Dallas kept converting on the power play. The Stars were 0-for-2 with the extra man in Game 2.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored a power-play goal in the first period, and Brett Kulak and Connor Brown blew the game open with goals 1:13 apart in the second period.
Game 3 is Sunday afternoon in Edmonton (3 p.m. ET, ABC).
Check out all the top moments from Game 2 of the Western Conference finals between the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars:
Oilers vs. Stars highlights
Final: Oilers 3, Stars 0
STATS: Check out the full stats from Game 2 here.
Roope Hintz heads down the tunnel after Darnell Nurse slash
Roope Hintz, one of Dallas’ top forwards, was in considerable pain and had to be helped off the ice and into the locker room after he was slashed in the legs by Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse.
Nurse was assessed a penalty on the play, a two-minute minor after the play was reviewed.
Stars coach Peter DeBoer was clearly not happy about it only being a two-minute penalty:
Score update: Oilers 3, Stars 0
The Oilers strike again just 1:13 later and suddenly they’ve blown this one open.
Connor Brown got the latest goal, deflecting the puck in after a feed from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
The Oilers take a 3-0 lead into the dressing room and will begin the third period with a little over a minute of power play time after Stars goalie Jake Oettinger picked up a delay of game penalty for putting the puck over the glass.
Edmonton took a two-goal lead into the locker room after two periods in Game 1, but wilted in the third. Can the Oilers avoid a collapse this time?
Score update: Oilers 2, Stars 0
What a great offensive effort from … Brett Kulak?!?
Indeed, the defenseman was the unlikely goal scorer for Edmonton, extending the Oilers’ lead with his first goal of the playoffs. Kulak’s first shot attempt was blocked after a nice setup from Connor McDavid, but Kulak stuck with it and put the follow-up shot past Jake Oettinger.
End of first period: Oilers 1, Stars 0
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ power-play strike was the only goal of the first period.
Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner has stopped all 11 shots he’s faced, while counterpart Jake Oettinger has stopped nine of 10.
The Oilers did manage to kill off a Dallas power play, something they weren’t able to do in the third period of their Game 1 collapse. Edmonton will begin the second period with 1:31 of power play time after Stars defenseman Thomas Harley was called for holding at 19:29.
Oilers 1, Stars 0: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins opens scoring
Just like in Game 1, the Oilers are on the board first.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins cashes in with a tap-in on the power play at 5:51 of the first.
What time is Stars vs. Oilers Game 2?
Game 2 of the Oilers-Stars series will be played at 8 p.m. ET on Friday in Dallas.
How to watch Stars vs. Oilers NHL playoff game: TV, stream
Time: 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. local
Location: American Airlines Center (Dallas)
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+, Fubo