Oilers dominate Game 3 and gain the lead in the 2025 Western Conference Final (2-1)

Lyanna Yeow
May 25, 2025
4 min read

Edmonton Oilers vs. Dallas Stars (GAME 3)

The Edmonton Oilers won Game 3 in the Western Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Dallas Stars on May 25, 2025. This matchup took place at Rogers Place and ended with a final score of 6-1 in the Oilers' favor. Read about what led to the Oilers’ win, the standout players of each team, stats, and when their next game is scheduled!

Game Recap

Both teams opened up the first period with great scoring chances to gain the lead, however, Stars’ #29 Jake Oettinger and Oilers’ #74 Stuart Skinner remained solid in net and kept both teams scoreless until the midway through the period. Rogers Place came to life when #2 Evan Bouchard gave the Oilers a 1-0 lead moments after the refs missed an Oilers delay of game penalty in the latter half of the period. The Oilers then capitalized on a 3-on-1 situation and made it a 2-0 game with a goal scored by #97 C. Connor McDavid thirty-six seconds after their opening goal. With two seconds left in the first period the fans in Rogers Place and Oilers’ coaching staff expressed their frustration with the refs when Oilers #43 Kasperi Kapanen received a high-sticking penalty after the momentum of #43 Kapanen’s stick shot up #96 Rantanen’s stick into the face of the Stars’ forward. After both teams fell victim to the questionable calls by the refs of this game, the teams entered the second period with 2-0 lead for the Oilers and time left on the Stars’ power play.

The Stars started off the second period with a minute and fifty-eight seconds left on their man-advantage but were unable to get a couple shots past #74 Skinner. The game remained stagnant until midway through the second period when Stars’ #6 Lian Bichsel received a tripping penalty which gave the Oilers another chance on the man-advantage. With eighteen seconds left on the penalty kill, the Stars received another tripping penalty which extended the Oilers' power play. Even with extended time on the man-advantage, the Oilers were unable to score within the eighteen seconds span of 5-on-3 hockey and the remaining 5-on-4 hockey. After killing the Oilers power play opportunities, #21 Jason Robertson cut the Stars’ deficit by one-goal after he tipped #6 Bichsel's snapshot into the back of the net during the last five minutes of the second period (2-1). With nineteen seconds left in the period, #97 C. McDavid regained the Oilers’ two-goal lead after the Stars failed to clear the puck out of the zone. This last goal scored in the second period ultimately made it a 3-1 game for the Oilers going into the last period of regulation.

The Oilers continued to dominate in the third period and extended their lead, 4-1, after #18 Zach Hyman scored an early goal when the Stars failed to score on #74 Skinner on the other end of the ice. After a couple shots by both teams, #18 Hyman extended the Oilers lead by taking advantage of a 2-on-1 situation and made it a 5-1 game in the latter half of the period. With about five minutes left in regulation, the Stars found themselves on the power play after an Oilers slashing penalty was called. The Stars power play turned into 4-on-4 hockey after #14 C. Jamie Benn received a roughing penalty and then into an Oilers’ power play opportunity. The Oilers capitalized on their man advantage with a goal scored by #36 John Klingberg with a little over two minutes left in regulation (6-1). Tempers flared in the final minute of regulation as Oilers’ #43 Kapanen and Stars’ #15 Colin Blackwell got into a scrap along the boards which led to the teams closing out the game 4-on-4. In the end, the stellar goaltending performance by #74 Skinner and the Oilers’ ability to capitalize on their scoring chances helped them to gain the series lead (2-1) in the Western Conference Final.

The standout players

Edmonton Oilers

Forward: #18 Zach Hyman (2G, 1A) and #93 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (3A) ended the game with 3 points recorded
Defensemen: #2 Evan Bouchard (1G, 1A) recorded two points by the end of this game
Goaltender: #74 Stuart Skinner had a save percentage of 0.972% after he saved 35 out of 36 shots on goal

Dallas Stars

Forward: #21 Jason Robertson scored the only Stars goal of this game
Defensemen: #6 Lian Bichsel assisted the only Stars goal of this game
Goaltender: #29 Jake Oettinger had a save percentage of 0.750% after he saved 18 out of 24 shots on goal

Stats

The Stars outshot the Oilers (35 SOG vs. 24 SOG)
The Oilers delivered more hits than the Stars (47 hits vs. 30 hits)
The Stars slightly won more faceoffs than the Oilers (50.8% vs. 49.2%)
The Oilers had a higher power play success rate than the Stars (33.3 PP% vs. 0 PP%)

SUMMARY: The Oilers’ physicality and overall ability to take advantage of their scoring chances greatly benefited them in gaining the series lead despite the Stars maining puck possession and winning more faceoffs.

Upcoming Games

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