Anton Khudobin made 40 saves as the Dallas Stars edged the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 in a shootout Thursday night at Rogers Place.
“We played a pretty good hockey game,” Oilers’ forward Leon Draisaitl said. “We just couldn’t really capitalize on our chances.”
“When you have 42 shots on goal and the other team has 20, it’s pretty hard to criticize your hockey club,” Oilers coach Ken Hitchcock said.
LISTEN BELOW: Ken Hitchcock
Draisaitl registered his 100th point of the season 4:59 into the game when he banged in a pass from Connor McDavid just seconds after an Oilers power play expired.
Early in the second period, McDavid scored a goal for the ages. Cutting in for the right side, he put the puck behind his left skate, moved his stick under his left leg, lifted the leg off the ice and flicked a shot past Khudobin for his 40th goal of the season.
“As a d-man, you’re so thankful he’s on your team and not embarrassing you,” Oilers defender Matt Benning said.
“I thought he was trying to carry us on his back today,” Hitchcock said. “I thought he was trying to will us to victory.”
LISTEN BELOW: Connor McDavid
Dallas came back with a power-play goal from Alexander Radulov to cut the Oilers’ lead to 2-1.
Stars defenceman Miro Heiskanen tied it 7:47 into the third, wristing in a shot from the slot with Jamie Benn providing a screen.
“We were the better team for large parts of the game,” Draisaitl said. “I think we were in control and obviously they’ve got some skilled players over there that are going to make plays, but like I said, if we capitalized on a few more chances, we probably win that game.”
LISTEN BELOW: Leon Draisaitl
The Oilers’ Oscar Klefbom went in alone 40 seconds into overtime but couldn’t beat Khudobin on the backhand.
The Oilers’ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and the Stars’ Tyler Seguin scored in the opening three rounds of the shootout. Jamie Benn ended it with a goal to close out the fifth round.
Benn said he doesn’t check scouting reports on goaltenders before a shootout.
“I don’t really look at anything because I don’t plan on going,” Benn said. “But I was lucky enough to go tonight. Doby (Khudobin) made all the saves and I found a way to get one in there.”
The win was the seventh consecutive victory on the road for the Stars.
“I think our overall play has gotten better and I think we’ve become a very confident and resilient team on the road,” Stars head coach Jim Montgomery said.
The Oilers (34-34-9) outshot the Stars 42-22. They’ll host Anaheim Saturday night.
–With files from 630 CHED’s Brenden Escott and Scott Johnston
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