The Edmonton Oilers were riding high after taking a 5-1 lead, and then it seemed they would hardly hold on for what looked like a win. But, after the almost unexpectedly miraculous comeback by the Dallas Stars, the game became a thrilling nail-biter, leaving the fans in intense frustration again with a 5-4 win. The game wasn’t only about two teams fighting it out; it was an emotionally charged night with many twists and turns, as well as a debut performance that surely had fans talking. Having said that, the question fans couldn’t shake was whether the Oilers should have let things get that tight.
Leon Draisaitl and Mekko Rantanen’s Sensational Debut Stun
The Oilers roared out on their game, dominating the first two periods with Zach Hyman, Viktor Arvidsson, and Connor Brown scoring. Draisaitl was particularly brilliant in orchestrating some crucial plays, giving the Oilers a commanding 5-1 lead. It all seemed to be going well for the Oilers from that point on- until it didn’t.
Mikko Rantanen, a newcomer to Dallas, definitely made an immediate remarkable impact. He was rumored to have gone to the Oilers instead. As luck would have it, he made sure that Edmonton noticed his arrival in Dallas. For the next half-hour, he would make the Stars furious in their comeback, going down 5-4, an important crucial goal and assist coming from Rantanen’s stick in that period. Coach Kris Knoblauch explained,“ Anytime a team adds a top player and one of the best winners in the league, and he’s big, he’s strong, he can score, so it’s going to give us a lot more trouble.” But, to be fair, we weren’t changing our plan for those guys, although the fans obviously feel we should have.
Not a single Oilers fan was thrilled about this win. “Ugly but we’ll take it,” was another fan who expressed the overwhelming anger that seemed to be lurking in the background. The last 20 minutes were a torturous frustrating experience for them. Another demanding fan took to the comments to vent, saying, “Not fun making us pucker for 20 minutes.” And the inability to keep a going lead raised questions about the team’s up-and-down questionable consistency.
On one, blunt comment, “Everyone clocked off in the last 15 minutes. No single player was to blame, everyone did.” No question, during the first two periods, the team was all good, but everything went downhill thereafter. A big concern? Goaltending: “We need a new goalie,” according to one comment regarding Stuart Skinner’s poor performance in the third.
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The win that was perhaps snatched from them also exposed some glaring truths. The fans want to see a full 60 minutes, not just clips of brilliance. With big guns like Draisaitl and Brown showing up, Edmonton had the potential to flatten any opponent—but defensive lapses will bring them down at the end of the day. If they want to be treated like serious determined contenders, then they had better start learning how to press the advantage home. For now, they will take the win; however, they know it shouldn’t have been this tough.
