Here is another clip involving Evgenii Dadonov, who loves this stretch play. In this clip, you can see his default is to get up the ice as soon as he sees the opportunity. Here he tries it twice. In the latter instance, he is so far up the ice, we don’t see him until the Stars try the Hail Mary pass to him.

Again, the Edmonton defenders were excellent at recognizing the situation and countering it all night.

This tactical element to the Stars game is what leads to a significant percentage of their odd man rushes. The Oilers essentially blunted this tonight by ensuring a defender marked they player as soon as they stretched the ice.

The Oilers F3

For me, this was easily the Oilers’ most impressive tactical performance of the series.

Last game, I highlighted how effectively the Oilers used their F3 to control the middle ice in all three zones. That strategic discipline continued here, especially in the offensive zone.

Why was this so effective?

Because maintaining a high F3 frustrated the Stars’ ability to generate offence from their defensive zone. Typically, the Stars thrive when they quickly transition, either stretching a player or sending four attackers immediately after puck retrieval. The Oilers neutralized this all night by consistently positioning their F3 high.

Consider this textbook example: After an excellent forecheck that generated a high-quality scoring chance, the puck transitioned quickly back to Dallas. Watch closely as the Stars attempt their rapid rush up ice. Without disciplined F3 positioning, this scenario often results in an odd-man rush opportunity.

But Trent Frederic stays disciplined. He maintains his high F3 position, allowing Brett Kulak to confidently hold the center line. This forces Dallas into an uncontrolled play and a turnover. Frederic, perfectly positioned, easily retrieves the loose puck. And just like that, the Oilers regain control.

The Oilers have done this consistently through the first two games of this series. It is one of the reasons the Dallas Stars have struggled at 5v5.

The Oilers Neutral Zone Counter

On the offensive side of the puck, the Oilers have really been effective at attacking the Stars’ neutral zone by moving the puck quickly and using the Royal Road to create gaps.

Watch this play that nearly led to a great chance on net. The Oilers move the puck side to side and do so quickly. By changing sides, the Oilers create a massive gap in the Stars’ neutral zone. As soon as Kapanen ends up with the puck, it is a sure 2v1 for the Oilers if he can make the pass to Kane.

He does, and it nearly creates a great opportunity for Draisaitl.

That all started by switching sides quickly with the puck against Dallas.

The Oilers second goal was another great example. In this case, Evan Bouchard moves the puck quickly up ice again across the Royal Road. McDavid enters and, as is habit with the Stars, they all focus on the puck carrier in their zone. This allows Kulak a lot of space in the high slot for a chance. He then converts the rebound for the Oilers second goal.

The Oilers have done a masterful job of moving the puck back and forth across the Royal Road in this series against the Stars’ neutral zone. Not only has it stopped the Stars from generating turnover chances, but it has also helped the Oilers create offensive chances.

Turnabout is Fair Play

We previously discussed how effective the Stars are at generating scoring chances from their defensive-zone play. But in Game 2, the Oilers showcased their strength in this area, as well.

The Oilers’ third goal was a perfect example. It began with a Dallas counterattack, catching Edmonton mid-line change. Immediately, the Oilers shifted into scramble mode.

Connor Brown made a smart defensive play, quickly closing space on the Dallas puck carrier. This allowed Edmonton’s two defensemen to cover the net-front, while Nugent-Hopkins slid back to defend the slot.

Watch Nugent-Hopkins closely here. Recognizing Brown, normally the right winger, was caught deep in the left corner, Nugent-Hopkins smartly adjusted. As the puck moved, he stepped up to cover Brown’s assignment. Meanwhile, Brown hustled back into position, blocking the shooting lane up high. Stecher contributed with a timely shot block, continuing his strong performance all night.

Then, Edmonton flipped the script. Instantly, the Oilers had a 3-on-2 rush going the other way. Nugent-Hopkins delivered a perfect pass to Kane. Kane had Brown available for a one-timer, but chose to shoot himself. Walman supported the play superbly, holding the blue line to sustain offensive pressure.

Ultimately, Nugent-Hopkins and Brown were rewarded for their diligent defensive efforts, securing Edmonton’s third goal and a commanding 3-0 lead.

The Oilers’ defensive zone play was really good all night, except for about five minutes in the second period. It also led to the offence that helped win the game. This is a s style of offence that would be familiar to the Dallas Stars.

Thoughts and Notes heading into Game 3…

Paul Coffey was excellent on Friday night. He stuck with the plan and kept his pairings together. Only on a couple of long changes did they get caught, but that is not his issue. Troy Stecher was brilliant tonight. Darnell Nurse, in this series, has an expected goals for of 76% with Stecher and 26% without. With Mattias Ekholm close to playing, it will be fascinating to see what the Oilers do. Will they go 11-7 to protect Ekholm and keep the pairings mostly together, or will one of the defencemen come out of the line-up?

An astute observer of the NHL texted me after the game to say he couldn’t believe Stuart Skinner had a goals against average over one in his last four games given he had three shutouts in those four games. What a great stat!  Skinner was a little chaotic tonight. It worked. Don’t complain. Goalies are voodoo.

The top four Dallas defencemen all played over 21 minutes tonight. The Oilers were fairly effective in putting pucks behind them and making them work hard to get out. Expect more of the same in Game 3 in an attempt to wear them down. With an afternoon game, the turnaround is only 39 hours between games, which includes air travel. The Oilers need to continue to push on these four players.

That’s it for the Game 2 review. See you all back here Monday morning for a review of the Oilers’ first matinee game of this playoffs. Have a great weekend.