Edmonton’s tough task of besting the Stars begins with knowing how the little details can mean the difference when you’re at this stage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, knowing that any let-off could result in the slimmest of margins being exploited by Dallas like they were during the third period of Game 2 on Saturday.
“I think for us, it’s getting into the o-zone and grinding them down a little bit more,” defenceman Darnell Nurse said. “I think we probably opened it up a little bit too much and got too much into the transition game, and those last 10-to-15 minutes, for us to have more success, you want to get into the ozone, just sustain the pressure and create and generate as much offence as you can.”
The Oilers also know they can do more to earn more power plays, having only drawn three penalties over the first two games while their penalty kill has continued their exceptional streak to 20 straight kills and 38-for-41 in the playoffs (92.7 percent). All nine goals in the series have been scored at even strength, with the Oilers’ power play riding a five-game goalless streak after scoring at least once in their previous nine games.
“I think we can probably continue to move our feet in the offensive zone,” Derek Ryan said. “I think they’re using their sticks a lot, getting away with a little bit more there, but that’s kind of out of our control. It’s also playoff hockey, so that’s just the way it is. I think we’re doing the same things that we’ve been doing in previous series’ to try and draw penalties, and you can’t really look to draw more penalties. Just play the way you’re playing and hopefully, you get the calls.”
After forward Adam Henrique took warmups ahead of Game 2 but wasn’t able to suit up, the Oilers will continue to go on a day-by-day basis with their trade-deadline acquisition in hopes of getting him back and from his injury in the lineup to provide some necessary depth scoring.
“He’s day-to-day, and we had him out there for warm-up last game and he’s very close, and Adam hopefully will be ready for Game 3 or 4,” Knoblauch said. “I think when he does come in, he’ll provide us some secondary scoring, he’s key on face-offs, and is just good defensively. He’s a good 200-foot player and that’s what we wanted from him. That’s why we traded for him. When he is ready, I think it’ll be a big addition for our team.”
