Connor McDavid, Stuart Skinner anchor dominant Game 3 victory by Edmonton Oilers over Dallas Stars

Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid and substitute goalie Stuart Skinner were the stars of the show on Sunday evening as the Oilers beat up Dallas Stars 6-1 in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final at Rogers Place.Despite a great effort on paper by the Stars, the team now trails 2-1 in the series and must come out Tuesday in Game 4 to avoid a tough playoff climb.Connor McDavid gave a masterclass in leadership and attack play, while Stuart Skinner rescued his team in goal, stumping the Dallas Stars at every turn. Despite the advantage in shots (34-24) and taking the reins in the middle period (21-7 in shots), the Stars left Edmonton with more questions than answers. The Oilers were off to a flying start, with two goals in the first period within 36 seconds, including a breakaway transition highlight-reel play by Connor McDavid, who initiated and capped the breakaway. Defenceman Evan Bouchard opened the scoring with a blue-line laser that created momentum that snowballed throughout the night. Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson managed to reduce the deficit to 2-1 with a tip on a Lian Bichsel shot. And yet again, Connor McDavid went and did it with 19 seconds remaining in the second period, and the game was swung in an irretrievable direction. Goalie Stuart Skinner had one of his finest playoff games as the 25-year-old stopped 33 shots and kept the Oilers in front even through Dallas' best moments. “I think Skinner was the difference-maker,” Dallas Stars winger Mikko Rantanen said. “He was the MVP of the match, I would say.” On the opposite end, Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger had his worst performance of the playoffs, giving up six goals on just 24 shots. Despite the one-sided score, Stars coach Pete DeBoer supported his goaltender. “We wouldn’t be sitting here in the conference finals without Jake Oettinger and how he’s played,” DeBoer said. “Tonight was one of those games where they were opportunistic, and then once they got the lead, we’re pushing to get back in and then there’s grade-A’s the other way. One thing I know about Jake Oettinger is he’s one of the best response goalies in the league.” Dallas also lacked the services of top-line center Roope Hintz, who remains out with an injury he suffered in Game 2. The team did some line combination shuffling, moving Mikael Granlund to center and supplementing the fourth line by adding Oskar Back, one of the more successful lines. Also read: Edmonton Oilers back home for pivotal Game 3 and 4 series against Dallas Stars in NHL Western ConferenceAs the Dallas Stars face a difficult series, they continue to show determination to win one away game and come home with momentum, but their current struggles with Connor McDavid and Stuart Skinner will make it challenging.