Latest news with #MikaelGranlund
CTV News
24-05-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
High-scoring Oilers leaning into defence for third shutout in four playoff games
Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (29) gets tangled with Dallas Stars center Mikael Granlund (64) and right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) during the third period in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs, Friday, May 23, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
New York Times
24-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
With Stars' offense dormant — and Roope Hintz possibly out — it's time for Mikko Rantanen to carry them again
DALLAS — Connor McDavid was stalking in the defensive zone, waiting for an outlet pass, a chance to make a break for it — menacing even from 150 feet away. When Jake Walman got the puck with time and space in the corner, McDavid made himself available while skating backward toward the neutral zone — still faster than half the guys on the ice. Walman, bewilderingly, sent the puck elsewhere. But Mikael Granlund lunged for the pass, got his stick on it, and — oops — knocked it right to McDavid at center ice. Advertisement The Edmonton Oilers captain took it in stride — with McDavid, it's always in stride — and off he went, reaching ludicrous speed in a step and a half. Gone? Not quite. Because Dallas' Miro Heiskanen, the best defender on the ice, one of the best defenders in the world, was right there to meet him at the blue line. Heiskanen swiped his stick and knocked the puck loose, up in the air — McDavid casually kept control as if he were skating all alone. Heiskanen steered him to the outside, facing him up like a basketball defender. McDavid never slowed. Heiskanen managed to stick with him every step, maintaining a dangerously tight gap, but McDavid was unflustered. Even with one of the best defensemen on the planet stuck to him, he managed to get off a nasty little snap shot that Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger was just able to get his pad on. That's McDavid. He's a nuclear weapon, always poised to go off and change a shift, a game, a series. The Stars have one of those, too. It's Mikko Rantanen, their $96-million man, their trade-deadline acquisition that sent seismic shocks through the rest of the league. He went off against Colorado in the first round, posting five goals and six assists in the last three games of a seven-game epic. He was still smoldering in the second round, when he had his second straight hat trick in Game 1. Rantanen might not have the speed or the razzle-dazzle that McDavid does — who does? — but he can take over a game in other ways. Through sheer size and strength and hands and will. And it's high time for him to go off again. Look, it's absurd to lay Dallas' 3-0 Game 2 loss to Edmonton at Rantanen's feet. It's a little absurd to even point out the fact that Rantanen hasn't scored in five straight games, that he has just two assists in that span, that he's scored just once since that Game 1 hat trick against Winnipeg. After all, Rantanen is tied with McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for the league lead with 20 points this postseason. He's the Conn Smythe Trophy front-runner. Advertisement Dallas isn't even in the conference final without Rantanen. Dallas doesn't even get out of the first round without Rantanen. But that's the problem. Dallas is built to be an unrelenting current of offense, wave after wave of scoring lines coming over the boards. But we haven't seen that at all in this postseason. They're winning series but they're not dominating them. Rantanen stole the Colorado series. Oettinger stole the Winnipeg series. As a whole, the Stars weren't even the better team for large chunks of both series. They've given up the first goal in 12 of 15 playoff games. Friday night marked the third time they've been shut out in this postseason. They were shut out just once in 82 regular-season games — in the fourth-to-last game of the campaign. We haven't seen anything close to Dallas at full power for anything other than spurts, a period here, a period there. That third-period explosion in Game 1 the other night? That cathartic slump-buster for so many stymied Stars? After watching Game 2, it feels more like a blip than a breakout. Yes, halfway to the Stanley Cup, you can be a cup-half-full optimist and say that it's great that Dallas has made it this far without being its best self. But the reality is, the Stars are running out of time. Edmonton is too good, too battle-tested, to let them steal another one. The Stars are going to have to take it by force. 'There's definitely another level,' Mason Marchment said. 'There's been spurts, even in (Game 2) there in the second period. We controlled for a majority of the second period, I felt. It's just building and building and keeping the momentum when we have it. We can't just be throwing the momentum away when we have it.' That's being generous. The Stars looked oddly hesitant in the first period, repeatedly making timid passes that the Oilers pounced on; they had a ghastly 27 turnovers in all. They did fare better in the second, but rarely tested Edmonton's boom-or-bust goaltender, Stuart Skinner, with anything all that dangerous. And in the third period, there was virtually no pushback — on the scoreboard or in the Oilers' faces — after Darnell Nurse knocked No. 1 center Roope Hintz out of the game with a wildly unnecessary slash on the top of the left foot far behind the play. Advertisement Hintz was helped off the ice and carried back to the locker room, never putting any weight on his foot. The officials reviewed it to see if it warranted a major penalty, but only assessed a two-minute minor. Hintz's status is very much up in the air for Game 3 on Sunday in Edmonton. It would be a devastating loss for Dallas if Hintz — who plays on the power play, who kills penalties, who's one of the few Stars who have produced in these playoffs — were to miss time. 'We didn't like it,' Stars captain Jamie Benn said. 'If that was McDavid walking down the tunnel, I would like to see the result of that.' 'Does anyone in this room think if Connor McDavid gets carried off the ice like that, it's not a five-minute major?' Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. Not a great sign when the postgame quotes are spicier than the on-ice response. And yet, DeBoer said that he liked his team's game better in Game 2 than he did in Game 1. That's how rough the Stars looked for much of Game 1. So it falls to Rantanen. If the Stars can't win by committee, the way they always do, the way they're meant to, then it's up to the one guy who's capable of putting a team on his back and carrying it to the Stanley Cup Final. That's not Wyatt Johnston, who's a staggering minus-15 for a team that's won two series. That's not Jason Robertson, who continues to be a shell of his dynamic self since rushing back from a leg injury suffered in the season finale. That's not Matt Duchene, whose Game 1 power-play goal didn't exactly break the dam, after all. And that's not Hintz, who might not even be ambulatory, for all we know. Unseemly as it seems to criticize him in any way, Rantanen needs to be better now. He needs to be the guy who took over in Round 1, who made a statement to kick off Round 2, who averaged more than a point per game in six straight Avalanche playoff runs. He needs do it in Game 3, and then again in Game 4, and again in Game 5. And on and on until he has the Stanley Cup in his hands. Might not be fair, but that's life at the top, that's the burden of greatness. McDavid and Draisaitl each have a point in all but two playoff games. They get hot, yes, but they never seem to run cold. They're always burning. Advertisement No, zero goals and two assists in five games won't cut it. Not in the conference final. Not against Edmonton. Rantanen was never The Guy in Colorado, not with Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar on his team. But in Dallas, he's very much The Guy. He has to be The Guy. The difference-maker. The nuclear weapon. It's time to go off. Otherwise, the way the rest of the Dallas forwards are playing, it'll soon be time to go home. (Photo of Roope Hintz: Sam Hodde / Getty Images)
New York Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Oilers at Stars Game 2 picks, odds, schedule: Stars up 1, now favored to take series
We told you we'd be in for a close one! The Stars erased a 3-1 deficit in Game 1, scoring five unanswered goals in a 6-3 victory to take an early series lead. Dallas' result was enough to shift the odds in their favor, but many pundits still expect this series to be a long one. Games on ESPN can also be streamed on ESPN+. Dallas leads the series 1-0 Series odds: Stars -185, Oilers +150 When the Stars needed them most, their depth shone through in a pinch. Matt Duchene hadn't scored a goal all postseason long until he etched his name on the scoresheet in Game 1. Tyler Seguin had two goals in 13 playoff games this spring. He scored twice in Game 1. Mikael Granlund joined in on the party with a goal and an assist. Even Esa Lindell added an empty-net goal. It isn't just the Oilers who have a potent offence, the Stars can score goals, too. Advertisement And of course, after we highlighted Miro Heiskanen's greatness ahead of the series, he scored a goal and an assist of his own. Dallas can't afford to play too much from behind against Edmonton. But if they have to, they've shown they can come back in games. Meanwhile, it's been a fascinating postseason, to say the least, for Stuart Skinner. The Oilers' netminder has posted a save percentage of .833 or lower in four of his six playoff appearances this spring. In fairness to him, it looked like he had a chance at finishing above .900 in Game 1 until the Stars scored five unanswered. Edmonton's big guns can often be counted on to take over games. But they need better from their goaltending. Despite only boasting a 4-3 record on the road, it's the second-best road record among teams in this year's playoffs, just behind Florida. And before that loss, Edmonton had won its last four road games. It shouldn't take Edmonton much to get back to its road-winning ways. Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dallas Stars not getting shut out on power play in this West final against Oilers
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) moves the puck as Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene (95) close in during the third period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) blocks a shot as center Mason Appleton (22) helps against pressure from Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) in the first period of Game 6 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series in Dallas, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson) Dallas Stars center Mikael Granlund (64) celebrates a goal with teammates Jason Robertson (21) and Mason Marchment during the third period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs against the Edmonton Oilers, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Dallas Stars center Mikael Granlund (64) celebrates a goal with teammates Jason Robertson (21) and Mason Marchment during the third period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs against the Edmonton Oilers, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) moves the puck as Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene (95) close in during the third period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) blocks a shot as center Mason Appleton (22) helps against pressure from Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) in the first period of Game 6 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series in Dallas, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson) Dallas Stars center Mikael Granlund (64) celebrates a goal with teammates Jason Robertson (21) and Mason Marchment during the third period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs against the Edmonton Oilers, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero) DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Stars aren't getting shut out on the power play in the Western Conference final against Edmonton this time. They took full advantage of their opportunities in the third period of Game 1 in this series, with three power-play goals in a game-turning 5:26 span on way to a 6-3 victory Wednesday night, a year after going 0 for 14 in six playoff games against the Oilers. Advertisement 'It's great that we got some goals there and hopefully we can keep doing that,' said Miro Heiskanen, whose got the first of the trio only 32 seconds into the final period. 'Happy for our power play. It took a lot of heat last year at this point of the year," coach Pete DeBoer said. "It was the difference tonight for us, so it's great.″ Mikael Granlund tied it at 3 with his power-play goal and Matt Duchene then put the Stars ahead to stay. That trio of power-play goals made the Stars the first team in Stanley Cup playoff history to earn multiple wins in regulation of the same postseason after being down two goals in the third period. In Game 7 of the first round against Colorado, Dallas overcame a 2-0 deficit in the third period on way to a 4-2 series-clinching win. Advertisement Dallas is only the second team since 1934, when power-play goals were first officially tracked, to have three of them in the opening six minutes of a playoff period. The other was the New York Rangers, with three in the first 4:36 of the third period on way to a 7-2 win over Montreal in Game 1 of the 2014 Eastern Conference final. While the Stars had that lingering goose egg from last year's West final, then failed to convert on a power play 7 1/2 minutes into this series opener against Edmonton, they have been good on special teams throughout this postseason. They entered this series ranked third among playoff teams both for converting power plays (30.8%) and killing penalties (86.1%). Their power play was the best among any teams that played more than one round, and the teams better on PKs were Eastern Conference finalists Carolina and Florida. 'The first power play we had was a little bit like the rest of our game. our execution was a little off, we didn't make great plays with the puck, we didn't have great support,' DeBoer said. 'I thought in the third, we came out and we executed. I think you never know when that switch is going to go. Advertisement "Obviously, being at home here for this game, we get that first goal, the crowd gets into it, momentum shifts really quickly. That's the benefit of being at home here for Game 1.' ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
Hamilton Spectator
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Stars score 3 PP goals in 5 1/2 minutes early in 3rd, rally to beat Oilers 6-3 in Game 1
DALLAS (AP) — Miro Heiskanen, Mikael Granlund and Matt Duchene scored power-play goals in a 5:26 span early in the third period and the Dallas Stars opened their Western Conference final rematch against the Edmonton Oilers with a 6-3 victory Wednesday night. Dallas began the third period with a two-goal deficit and a man advantage from a penalty that carried over from the second. Heiskanen scored 32 seconds in, Granlund tied it and Duchene put the Stars ahead to stay with a second-effort score that made it 4-3. Tyler Seguin had two goals and an assist for the Stars. Esa Lindell added a empty-netter that went almost the entire length of the ice. Game 2 is Friday night in Dallas. Dallas went 0 for 14 on power plays in losing the West final last year in six games, and gave up two short-handed goals in the process. The Stars also failed to convert with a man advantage only 7 1/2 minutes into this opener, but quickly turned that around in the third period. Leon Draisaitl had a goal and two assists for the rested Oilers, who played for the first time since wrapping up their second-round series a week earlier in Game 5 at Vegas. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a power-play goal and an assist, defenseman Evan Bouchard had his fifth goal and Connor McDavid two assists. ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
