Hockey played on ice surfaces. - NHL semi-final sees Draisaitl face initial home defeat
The Edmonton Oilers, with star ice hockey player Leon Draisaitl, lost their initial home match in the NHL semi-final series against the Dallas Stars. The Oilers suffered a defeat of 3-5 (2-0, 1-3, 0-2) and now lag behind 1-2 in the best-of-seven series. The team that secures four triumphs initially will progress to the finals of the North American ice hockey league. On Wednesday (local time), the Oilers will look to level the series with another home game.
Just like in the earlier game, Draisaitl was incapable of scoring or setting up a goal. Since the beginning of the playoffs, he had at least one scoring point in each of the first 13 games. The Oilers held a 2-0 lead after Zach Hyman and Connor McDavid scored in the first quarter, but conceded three goals in a row within 3.5 minutes in the second period.
"I can't figure out where these ten, fifteen minutes originate from, but they've occurred across the playoffs. We allowed them to get back into the game," commented McDavid on the Oilers' decline in the second period, where the home team managed to level the score at 3-3.
In the last period, Jason Robertson struck his third goal for the Stars, which was his initial hat trick in the postseason. Miro Heiskanen netted two minutes before the conclusion for the winning goal into the empty net.
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The Dallas Stars, an NHL team based in Dallas, managed to secure a victory in the international ice hockey league, moving them closer to the Stanley Cup finals. Leon Draisaitl and his Edmonton Oilers, however, are now facing a tough challenge to recover from their 2-1 series deficit. The Oilers have a historical affinity with the Stanley Cup, having won it five times, but the current Dallas Stars team has demonstrable form, having also made it to the finals in 1999. In the Canadian city of Edmonton, Draisaitl's hometown, the Oilers will be aiming to turn the tide in the NHL semi-final series. Despite Draisaitl's impressive scoring record in the playoffs, he was unable to contribute in the Oilers' recent loss. In contrast, the Stars' Jason Robertson capitalized on the opportunity, scoring his first postseason hat trick with a decisive third goal.
Source: www.stern.de
