Kris Knoblauch needed someone 鈥� anyone 鈥� to step up.
The Oilers were taking on water after a flying start to Game 3 of the NHL鈥檚 Western Conference final.
Connor McDavid had been shot out of a cannon, setting up Edmonton鈥檚 first goal and scoring another in Monday鈥檚 quick-strike opening 20 minutes that saw the home side lead 2-0 and hold the Dallas Stars to just three shots.
The momentum, however, was resoundingly flipped after the intermission. And the Oilers didn鈥檛 respond nearly quick enough.
Every line Knoblauch, the team鈥檚 rookie head coach, sent over the boards in that disastrous 10-minute stretch to open the second was on its heels as the Stars poured into the offensive zone in white-and-green waves.
McDavid鈥檚 trio couldn鈥檛 get traction. Leon Draisaitl鈥檚 and his wingers didn鈥檛 have any luck either. It was more of the same from the third and fourth units.
Before they knew it, the Oilers were down 3-2.
Edmonton would eventually get back on stable ground, tying the score 3-3, before Dallas winger Jason Robertson completed his hat trick midway through the third period in a 5-3 victory that pushed the Stars ahead 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.
鈥淲e got away from our game,鈥� Knoblauch said Tuesday. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to take anything away from Dallas. They played a much better period in the second period than they did in the first. But I look back at what we were doing.
鈥淭here鈥檚 some things that we weren鈥檛 doing the second period that we were in the first.鈥�
That included failing to make simple plays at the Oilers鈥� blue line and missed assignments in the defensive zone 鈥� a lack of attention to detail that has popped up at different points this spring. Edmonton blew a 4-1 lead in Game 1 against the Vancouver Canucks in the second round before nearly doing the same with a 3-0 advantage in Game 7.
And then there was Monday鈥檚 dramatic shift.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just small, little details,鈥� continued Knoblauch, whose team hosts Game 4 on Wednesday. 鈥淔or us to be successful, those small details are non-negotiable. If we鈥檙e going to have success, we need everyone doing them every single time.鈥�
The Oilers haven鈥檛 scored a goal in the third period in this series and are 0-4 in the playoffs when tied through 40 minutes, including 0-2 against Dallas after winning Game 1 in double overtime.
鈥淲e haven鈥檛 done a good enough job of being stubborn with it and closing out games,鈥� Draisaitl said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a big part of our team.鈥�
On the other side, second-year centre Wyatt Johnson said the veteran presence in a Dallas locker room that also qualified for last season鈥檚 conference final makes a huge difference in moments like the aftermath of Monday鈥檚 first period.
鈥淲e have the patience, the confidence,鈥� said the 21-year-old, who scored his team鈥檚 third goal in Game 3. 鈥淚f we don鈥檛 have a great period, we take that intermission and regain our thoughts and settle down a bit.鈥�
Edmonton, meanwhile, didn鈥檛 respond quickly enough facing a similar situation Monday in a series that has seen some wild swings.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e a really good team,鈥� said Oilers winger Zach Hyman, who scored Monday鈥檚 opener and tops the post-season with 13 goals. 鈥淭here are times in the game we absolutely dominate and there are times in the game where they鈥檙e dominating.鈥�
Edmonton also trailed Vancouver 2-1 heading into Game 4 at home and won鈥檛 be deviating from its process.
鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing to be upset about, there鈥檚 nothing to sulk about,鈥� Hyman said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been in this position before. We have a great opportunity 鈥� Game 4 at home to send it to a best-of-three.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the mindset that we should have.鈥�
But if things once again go of script, the Oilers will need a much better response 鈥� or face an uphill climb down 3-1 when they board the plane back to Texas.
DIFFERENT APPROACH
The Stars aren鈥檛 nearly as physical as the Los Angeles Kings 鈥� Edmonton鈥檚 first-round opponent 鈥� or the Canucks. Scrums after the whistle and general animosity just haven鈥檛 been there against Dallas.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e almost tried to lull things to sleep,鈥� Oilers winger Evander Kane said. 鈥淎 tactic on their end. We can be more physical as a group.鈥�
STRUGGLING NURSE
Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse was on the ice for the third and fourth Dallas goals in Game 3, dropping him to minus-12 鈥� the worst of any player in the 2024 post-season.
Knoblauch pushed back on that ugly number, but added the blueliner with two playoff assists and a US$9.25-million salary cap hit has more to give.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just playing on instincts,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know (a defenceman) in NHL that is able to get around the ice as quick as he can and close plays off. He鈥檚 so efficient at that 鈥� something he鈥檚 got to be doing every shift.
鈥淵ou look at the stats and I think it鈥檚 unfair to say that鈥檚 his game, but Darnell can play better.鈥�
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