The Dallas Stars suffered a crushing 6-1 defeat at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final at Rogers Place. The Stars were hoping to take the series lead but fell short, allowing three goals in the final period and now trail 2-1 in the series.
Zach Hyman and Connor McDavid were the stars of the game for the Oilers, each scoring twice, while Evan Bouchard and John Klingberg also found the back of the net for Edmonton. Jason Robertson managed to score the lone goal for the Dallas Stars.
Let’s take a closer look at the three Dallas Stars players who struggled the most in their Game 3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
### #3 Esa Lindell
Esa Lindell, who usually plays on the top defensive pairing with Miro Hesikanen, had a rough game on Sunday. He finished with a minus-3 rating in over 20 minutes of ice time across 28 shifts. Lindell was particularly caught out of position on Evan Bouchard’s opening goal, failing to track the play and leaving a gap for the Oilers to capitalize on.
### #2 Alex Petrovic
Another defenseman who struggled for the Stars was Alex Petrovic. He was exposed on multiple occasions, with Hyman’s first goal highlighting his defensive lapses. Petrovic failed to pick up Hyman streaking up the ice, and his lack of awareness allowed the Oilers to score easily.
### #1 Jake Oettinger
Goaltender Jake Oettinger, who has been solid throughout the postseason, had a rare off night in Game 3. He allowed six goals on 24 shots and looked shaky for most of the game. While the defense in front of him didn’t provide much help, Oettinger also failed to make key saves that could have kept the Stars in the game.
The Stars will need these players to bounce back in Game 4 if they hope to even the series before heading back to Dallas for Game 5. Game 4 will be crucial for the Stars, and they will need a strong performance from their key players to turn the series around.
The game is set to take place on Tuesday night at Rogers Place, and the Stars will be looking to put Game 3 behind them and come out with a much-improved performance.
