Knoblauch on Game 3: 'Took our foot off the pedal'
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Everything was looking good for the Edmonton Oilers Monday night, taking a 2-0 lead into the first intermission in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars.
But the Stars were a different team to begin the second, scoring three goals in a span of three-and-a-half minutes to take a 3-2 lead. Dallas went on to win 5-3, thanks to a winner from Jason Robertson – his third goal of the night – to take a 2-1 series lead and snatch back home-ice advantage while pulling within two wins of reaching the Stanley Cup Final.
"Complete reversal," Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said of his team's performance in the second period. "They were really ready to come out hard and have a good push, and we were hoping things would just continue sailing. Took our foot off the pedal."
Robertson scored two goals in just over two minutes to even the game at two goals apiece and Wyatt Johnston gave the Stars their first lead of the night at the 9:08 mark. At one point in the second, the Stars were outshooting the Oilers 13-0.
Oilers forward Adam Henrique, who was playing just his second game since May 10, scored to tie things up, but Robertson's eventual winner followed in the third, and an empty-netter from Miro Heiskanen sealed things for Dallas.
"A real good start," said captain Connor McDavid, who had a goal and an assist Monday. "I'm not sure where those 10, 15 minutes come from, but it's as bad as it's been throughout the playoffs.
"They went up a couple levels and we went down a few levels. You see the difference."
On the Stars' side, Robertson revealed the team fed off each other's momentum in the second frame.
"I like the word contagious," Robertson said. "One line goes, another line sees that, they see them doing the right thing — winning battles, putting the puck in good spots, not turning the puck over. That line sees it, then the next line sees it, then the next line sees it.
"A combination of all our lines doing the right thing."
Game 4 will go Wednesday night in Edmonton before shifting back to American Airlines Center in Dallas for Game 5 Friday night.