Let's hope the Stars brought their "road villain mentality" to Edmonton. They will need it when they take on the Edmonton Oilers in game three of the Western Conference Finals. In game two this past Saturday night, Jamie Benn, Mason Marchment, and Jake Oettinger rose to the occasion and tied the series at one. It will be interesting to see how the Stars begin the first period after looking timid in the first period of game two.
All eyes will be on the Dallas Stars during warmups again as fans hope to see Roope Hintz. He's been out of the lineup for the Stars for the first two games of this series against the Oilers. Hintz is known for his fast skating and high hockey IQ. The Stars will need that to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. When Hintz is in the lineup, the Stars' speed increases tenfold. Here are the three keys of the game for the Stars as they take on the Oilers in game three of the Western Conference Finals.
Dallas Stars vs. Edmonton Oilers: 3. No timid first period
The Stars would be in a 2-0 hole if Oettinger didn't play well in game two. After he gave up that goal in the first period, the playoff version of Oettinger kicked into gear. The Stars must be fast and fire the puck at the net at Stuart Skinner. The Stars should fire at the net instead of the glass behind Skinner. They must practice building an early lead because if they make the Stanley Cup Finals, Florida or New York won't wait for them to make the first move.
Dallas Stars vs. Edmonton Oilers: 2. Stop their three-headed beast
The Stars did a fantastic job of shutting down the Oilers's three-headed scoring monster in game two. Holding them to only five shots and zero goals is how you'll drain the oil wells and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. Chris Tanev and Miro Heiskanen led the way in shutting down Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitil, and Zach Hyman. These three can't find the scoresheet tonight during game three. The Stars should beat the Oilers if these three players are shut down from being a factor.
Dallas Stars vs. Edmonton Oilers: 1. Need for speed
If Hintz is out of the lineup again, the Stars must find their "need for speed" within themselves. They can't afford to play at a slow pace and try to catch up to the Oilers tonight. If you watched the first period of game two, the Stars were caught off guard by how fast the Oilers flew around the rink. It's time to return the favor by outskating them for sixty minutes and take a 2-1 series lead.