The Edmonton Oilers started Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs on fire. However, they could not survive against a fierce Dallas Stars team that won 5-3. Dallas now has a one game advantage in the series. Oilers star Connor McDavid did not hold back when talking about his teams performance late in that game.

“A real good start,” McDavid said. “I’m not sure where those 10, 15 minutes come from, but it’s as bad as it’s been throughout the playoffs.”

Edmonton jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period. They couldn't carry that momentum into the second period and were outscored 5-1 in the final two periods of the game.

Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner also voiced his frustration with his team's performance in the second period of Game 3.

“It was a little bit frustrating. You knew that they were going to push back. These guys obviously want to make it to the finals,” Skinner said. “We just let off the gas a little bit. When they started rolling, they just kept rolling. Once they got momentum, we, as a whole unit, we were just watching them do their thing.”

Skinner summarized the period accurately.

“We allowed them to do what they wanted for the majority of the second period.”

The Oilers will get a chance at redemption in Game 4 that is beginning to feel like a must-win game. Edmonton will try to rescue the series in front of their home crowd on Wednesday at 8:30PM ET.

Stars Jason Robertson completes first-ever playoff hat trick

After the hot start, everything was working against Edmonton.

Stars left winger Jason Robertson was a crucial piece of Dallas' victory in Game 3.

The 24-year-old logged his first playoff hat trick of his NHL career, providing all of the goals needed to keep pace with the Oilers.

“You want to help the team win, you want to score goals,” said Robertson, who hadn’t found the back of the net since Game 6 of the first round. “Scoring one gives you confidence … like a domino effect.”

Wyatt Johnston and Miro Heiskanen also scored goals in the winning effort. Jake Oettinger was solid for the Stars with 26 saves.

Stars Roope Hintz, Oilers Adam Henrique returned from injury in Game 3 

Game 3 saw the return of one player for each side.

For Dallas, Roope Hintz returned after suffering an upper-body injury in Game 4 of their series against the Avalanche.

“We gutted it out while (Hintz) was out of the lineup,” Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said. “It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t as pretty as it was tonight when he was out, but we still found ways. Guys still found ways to contribute without a key player.

“That’s what I’m most proud of. It was great that he was back tonight, but I’m really proud of how we handled his absence.”

The Oilers returned center Adam Henrique, who missed seven out of the last eight games with a suspected ankle injury.

“You never know what a player’s going to bring after a stretch of not playing,” Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said Monday after the loss. “Usually it’s very hard for a player to find their game, but I don’t think he had any problems.

“He made a lot of nice plays, obviously with the goal. I thought he was pretty good on the faceoff, and it was nice having him.”

Hopefully Henrique can make a difference down the stretch for Edmonton.