Edmonton Oilers come up dry in Dallas

By Reid Wilkins 630CHED

Posted December 4, 2018 12:26 am

Updated December 4, 2018 1:40 am

2 min read

If you get Global News from Instagram or Facebook - that will be changing. Find out how you can still connect with us.

This article is more than 5 years old and some information may not be up to date.

WATCH ABOVE: Some recent video about the Edmonton Oilers.

The Edmonton Oilers’ three-game winning streak came to an end Monday night with a 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars.

The Oilers were playing without Connor McDavid who sat out with an illness, ending the forward’s consecutive games-played streak at 222.

The Oilers outshot the Stars 9-4 in the first period, but Dallas scored the frame’s only goal. Mattias Janmark broke his stick on a shot attempt, but he got enough on the puck to send it in front to Jason Dickinson, who scored his fifth of the season.

There was no scoring in the second period. Oilers goaltender Mikko Koskinen stopped Devin Shore on a Stars power play with nine minutes left in the period, then denied Jamie Benn from point blank less than two minutes later.

Story continues below advertisement

Brett Ritchie made it 2-0 for the Stars early in the third. With Oilers forward Zack Kassian in the box for interference, Benn tallied on a power play deflection. Shortly after, Kassian was hit with a 10-minute misconduct.

After the game, Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl said he thought the team had a lot of fight through the first 40 minutes, but couldn’t continue that momentum into the third period.

“We played solid for, maybe the first two periods,” he said. “Then we got the second goal against and our heads sunk down on us a little bit, and it’s hard to get out of it.”

The email you need for the day's top news stories from Canada and around the world.

LISTEN BELOW: Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl talks to the media after the team’s 4-1 loss to Dallas

Story continues below advertisement

With 10:59 to go, Alex Chiasson’s hit from behind on Dallas forward Jason Spezza set off a skirmish, highlighted by a fight between Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse and Shore.

The Oilers’ Jujhar Khaira broke a 40-game goalless drought when he slammed in his own rebound late in the third.

The Oilers went on a power play with 2:45 left, but the Stars’ Esa Lindell iced it with a shorthanded, empty-net goal.

Oilers head coach Ken Hitchcock said the team wasn’t sure if McDavid would be playing until just before puck drop, but the team still needs to be able to win games without one player.

“To me, we were either above the bar with a lot of guys, or below the bar — nothing in between,” he said. “That’s not conducive to winning hockey games.”

LISTEN BELOW: Oilers head coach Ken Hitchcock talks after a 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars

The Oilers (13-12-2) will visit St. Louis on Wednesday.

Story continues below advertisement

Watch below: Some videos from Global News’ coverage of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2018-19 season.