DALLAS — For the seventh straight time -- or, put another way, in each and every series they've played during a three-year stretch -- the Dallas Stars have lost the opening game of a playoff series.
In a heartbreaking double-overtime defeat, the Stars lost Game 1 on Thursday, falling 3-2 to the Oilers with all-world forward Connor McDavid scoring the game-winner for Edmonton mere seconds into the fifth frame -- and redeeming himself after some surprising missteps earlier in the game.
Overtime was an edge-on-your-seat affair. And it started with a seemingly big break for Dallas, as Oilers superstar McDavid was called for a high-sticking double-minor that bloodied Stars forward Matt Duchene's lip and earned the Stars a four-minute power play.
Even with that advantage, though, the Stars couldn't capitalize. Instead, the team hit two goalposts amid a flurry of shots on goal, and came up short on their man-up effort as the Oilers extended their successful playoff penalty kill streak to 18.
Later in first overtime, McDavid also shockingly blew an open-net scoring opportunity with a slow-to-fire shot that Oettinger eventually blocked with his stick.
He wouldn't miss his next chance, though, which came right at the start of the second overtime and earned his team a 1-0 series lead.
It was a deflating finish to the game, but the Stars didn't exactly start the game on fire, either. Rather, Dallas initially came out flat-footed to open the contest, giving up the home-ice advantage they'd earned in the regular season.
"If I knew that, we probably would change it up," said Seguin, when asked about the Stars' struggles in Game 1 contests. "I feel like we've had some Game 1s where we've really been feeling it out and laying a few eggs. That wasn't the case tonight. This was a little different. Lot of things to build off of."
The Stars had plenty of chances to strike first in the game and series, too. Dallas even drew the first three penalties on the night, but came up empty in each ensuing power play -- including the two and a half man-advantage opportunities they earned in the opening frame. (Their third power play bridged into the second period.)
Really, though, the Stars were lucky to leave the first period with the game tied at 0-0. If not for Oilers forward Warren Foegele missing an open net past an outstretched Stars goalie Jake Oettinger on a breakaway, Dallas would've headed into the game's first intermission down a goal.
Instead, that fate was delayed until 58 seconds into the second period when, after the Oilers officially killed the Stars' third power play, star Edmonton forward Leon Draisaitl buried into the net a puck that took an unfortunate bounce off Stars defender Esa Lindell and found itself right on his stick.
With the goal, Draisaitl extended his playoff point streak to 13 games.
Three minutes later, his teammate Zach Hyman -- himself a 50-goal scorer this season -- extended the Oilers' lead to two on a counter breakaway following a big save from Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner on Stars captain Jamie Benn.
Stars forward Tyler Seguin -- the only Dallas player with a Stanley Cup victory to his name, from all the way back in his rookie season in Boston in 2011 -- then almost singlehandedly brought the Stars back to life.
Six minutes into the second period, he woke up a previously stunned American Airlines Center crowd with a goal off a Benn pass that slipped past Skinner to find a patiently awaiting Seguin on the other side of the net.
Then, with less than four minutes to play in the third, Seguin slammed into the mesh the game-tying goal on a nifty touch-pass sent his way by forward Evgenii Dadonov.
The Oilers nearly took the lead immediately back in the third, with Oilers forward Dylan Holloway rushing the Stars net right off the ensuring faceoff. But a heroic kick-save from Oettinger stuffed the effort, eventually forcing Game 1 into overtime.
But, despite seemingly having the momentum throughout the first OT and while heading into the second, McDavid -- rather indisputably the NHL's top player -- proved too much for the Stars in Game 1.
The Stars will look to even the series in Game 2 at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 25, at the American Airlines Center.