DALLAS — Connor McDavid netted the game-winning goal just 32 seconds into the second overtime, propelling the Edmonton Oilers to a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final on Thursday at the American Airlines Center.
McDavid deftly redirected a pass from Evan Bouchard past Jake Oettinger to secure the win.
“It was nice to score in overtime. A big goal, great play by [Bouchard] as usual,” said McDavid, Edmonton’s captain. “These games are tight; every team here is solid. Dallas is a great team. It’s going to be tight hockey.”
The dramatic goal followed a spectacular save by Oettinger, who thwarted McDavid with 5:21 left in the first overtime. McDavid’s attempt was denied by Oettinger’s sprawling stick save, with help from defenseman Chris Tanev.
Game 2 of this best-of-seven series will be Saturday (8 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS, CBC).
“In a perfect world, we’d like to win Game 1 and every series four straight, but that’s not reality,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “We’ve been here before. We’re the best road team in the League. We need to elevate our game, and the wins will follow.”
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Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman also scored, while Stuart Skinner made 31 saves for the Oilers, the No. 2 seed from the Pacific Division.
“Success in the playoffs comes from good defense and responsible play,” Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch said. “You won’t win consistently without it. Skinner made some crucial saves tonight.”
Tyler Seguin scored twice, and Oettinger made 35 saves for the Stars, the No. 1 seed from the Central Division.
“We improved as the game went on,” DeBoer noted. “We have another level to reach, and we’ll need it against that team.”
Draisaitl opened the scoring 58 seconds into the second period, shooting from his knees to notch his ninth goal of the playoffs. He leads the NHL with 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) in these playoffs, maintaining a 13-game point streak.
“We can score 5-on-5 and on the power play,” McDavid said. “We’re generating chances well.”
Hyman made it 2-0 at 4:17, slipping a shot through Oettinger’s pads while battling Tanev.
“We matched up well. Both teams had their moments,” Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm said. “We played well in Game 1, but it’s just one win. We need to be ready for Game 2.”
Seguin made it 2-1 at 6:11, capitalizing on a scramble after Jamie Benn intercepted a clearing attempt.
“He’s finding ways to score different goals,” Benn said of Seguin. “He’s having a great playoffs.”
Seguin tied the game 2-2 at 16:37 of the third period, tapping in a redirect from Evgenii Dadonov off a shot by Jason Robertson.
“We played well enough to win, and so did they. It’s a game of inches,” Seguin said. “It was a great game, and we’ve got to win the next one at home.”
The Oilers were perfect on the penalty kill, including a four-minute double minor against McDavid early in the first overtime. They have killed 19 consecutive power plays.
NOTES: Edmonton is 33-for-36 on the penalty kill in the playoffs. … Draisaitl is the fifth player in NHL history to open the postseason with a point streak of at least 13 games.
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