Bizarre as it might sound, Game 4 made certain that three is the magic number. The Edmonton Oilers have won three games in a row after Tuesday’s 4-1 victory and it gives them a 3-1 series advantage in the Western Conference finals.
Suffering what is now their third straight defeat means the Dallas Stars are a loss away from their season ending. They would be the first team to advance to three consecutive conference finals without reaching the Stanley Cup Final since the NHL moved to the current playoff format in 1994.
Ryan S. Clark and Greg Wyshynski take a look back at what happened in Game 4, what players could make an impact in what might be a defining Game 5 for both franchises while also asking what major questions face the Oilers and Stars ahead of Thursday.
Warning: The following commentary is going to sound like a broken record when it comes to the Edmonton Oilers. Reader discretion is advised.
Now that we’ve gone through the fine print, the Oilers did in Game 4 what they have done since coach Kris Knoblauch arrived in November 2023. They found a way to adjust. Again. Giving up 16 first-period shots led to the Oilers making the necessary adjustments that saw that number decline to nine shots in the second. In the third, Stars went more than 11 minutes until they registered a second shot on goal. The Oilers gave up two high-danger chances in 5-on-5 play over the final two periods while still retaining their physical edge without Zach Hyman, who was ruled out after a first-period hit from Mason Marchment.
In addition to those adjustments, the Oilers also received plenty of other contributions. Leon Draisaitl scored the opener with Corey Perry scoring the eventual game-winner and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins doling out two assists. Then came empty-net goals from Kasperi Kapanen and Adam Henrique. Similar to what they did in Game 3, the Oilers found the balance that saw them rely on Stuart Skinner to make the needed save while providing him with stronger support. — Ryan S. Clark
First the good news: The Dallas Stars had a great first period with that saw them put 16 shots on goal, produce 74% of the shot attempts and have 12 more scoring chances than the Oilers. Now the bad news: It didn’t lead to the Stars scoring the first goal of the game, something they’ve yet to do this series, as Draisaitl’s power-play goal put them in a 1-0 hole after 20 minutes. Key phrase: power play. The Oilers were 2-for-3 against a penalty-kill unit that has given up at least one goal in every game of the series.
That’s all they needed against a Dallas offense that Edmonton defended expertly in front of Skinner. How expertly? The Stars went roughly 30 minutes spanning the second and third periods without a high-danger shot attempt. Dallas had four shots on goal in the third period. The suppression of the Dallas offense — partially by the Oilers and Skinner, partially because the Stars have so many passengers this series — over the last two periods is the reason the Stars are facing elimination after Game 4. — Greg Wyshynski
Three Stars of Game 4
With a goal and an assist, Perry became the first forward with 15 minutes of time on ice and two points at age 40 or older in the playoffs since Jaromir Jagr in 2013 for the Bruins against the Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Final.
Another win while giving up one goal or fewer during this postseason. Skinner made 28 of 29 saves with the lone goal being a perfect Jason Robertson top-shelf snipe on the power play.
Mark Messier on “The Point” called Nugent-Hopkins perhaps the best special teams player (penalty kill and power play) in the NHL and it showed in Game 4 especially with the man advantage as he had two primary assists propelling the Oilers to a commanding 3-1 series lead. — Arda Öcal
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Leon Draisaitl opens up scoring for Oilers
Leon Draisaitl smacks a one-timer into the net on the power play as the Oilers grab a 1-0 lead.
Players to watch in Game 5
There’s still the possibility that the Oilers could have Hyman for Game 5. If not, then, it’s going to lead to Knoblauch making an adjustment to replace what has been the Oilers’ most physical player this postseason. Filling Hyman’s void could be a collective effort as it was in Game 4 given that Trent Frederic, Evander Kane, Vasily Podkolzin and Kapanen each finished with more than five hits. Perry, who also has a physical component to his game, has provided the Oilers with a winger who can play throughout the lineup. That was even more evident in Game 4 with his two-point performance that saw his sixth goal of the playoffs tie Jean Beliveau for the most by a player in their age-39 season. Whether it be on the fourth line or next to Connor McDavid and Draisaitl to give the Oilers a forward combination that features Hart Trophy winners, Perry is a luxury no other team has this postseason. — Clark
Dallas GM Jim Nill said it himself after acquiring Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes: “Mikko’s experience in the postseason is an invaluable asset to our team as we work toward the goal of winning a Stanley Cup.”
Welp. The Stars are one more loss away from being shaken awake from their Stanley Cup dream in the conference final for a third straight season. When thinking about reasons “it’ll be different this time,” Rantanen’s name was top of the list. Especially after his 18-point explosion over the course of seven games between the end of the Colorado series and the start of the Winnipeg series.
Rantanen doesn’t have a goal since Game 3 against the Jets. He has two secondary assists in his past six playoff games. The “invaluable asset” hasn’t exactly become a liability. He’s generating shots. He’s trying. But he has not been a difference-maker in the same way the top Edmonton players have. Game 5 could be a legacy game for Rantanen or more of the same for the Dallas. — Wyshynski
Big questions for Game 5
Will it be too close for comfort or closing time for the Oilers in Game 5?
Fully understanding what this iteration of the Oilers has done this postseason can be viewed in a number of ways. But doing that means looking back at how they finished last season in the Stanley Cup Final. They know firsthand what it means to let an opponent find even a little bit of breathing room only to see them gain life. But they also know what it’s like to have that new proverbial life and fail to make the most of that advantage. Fast forward to this postseason. The second they got an opening against the Los Angeles Kings in the first round, they took care of business. The moment the Vegas Golden Knights thought they had something, the Oilers kept them from scoring for the rest of the postseason. So what are they about to do to the Stars in Game 5? And will it be enough to send the Oilers back to the Stanley Cup Final for a second straight season? — Clark
Is it as simple as scoring the first goal?
We like to get really brainy when it comes to hockey analysis. Puck possession, expected goals, high-danger chances and the rest of the fancy stats. We break down plays to the pixel to explain them. What we don’t like to do is acknowledge the simplicity of playoff hockey. Because a concept like “first goal wins” is just so uncomplicated. Even if it might be true.
The Carolina Hurricanes scored the first goal in Game 4, facing elimination. They exhaled, got to their game and now the series has swung back to Raleigh, with Carolina moving to 6-0 when they score first. Dallas is 3-0 in the postseason when scoring first — and perhaps the fact that it has happened only three times is one reason why they’ve played more games (17) than any other team in the postseason.
Scoring first doesn’t promise you anything. After all, Dallas had only a .674 winning percentage when scoring first in the regular season, 17th in the NHL. But getting a opening goal against the Oilers would calm things down. It would allow the Stars to build on their game rather than frantically dig out of a hole. Most importantly, it could help plant a little doubt in the minds of the Oilers. Because right now, the Oilers are the most unbothered team in the conference finals — cool, confident and one win away from another Stanley Cup Final appearances unless the Stars flip the script fast. Scoring first, as simple as it sounds, would be one way to attempt to do that. — Wyshynski
ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.
NEW YORK — A blunder that typifies the current state of the New York Yankees, who find themselves in the midst of their second six-game losing streak in three weeks, happened in front of 41,401 fans at Citi Field on Saturday, and almost nobody noticed.
The Yankees were jogging off the field after securing the third out of the fourth inning of their 12-6 loss to the Mets when shortstop Anthony Volpe, as is standard for teams across baseball at the end of innings, threw the ball to right fielder Aaron Judge as he crossed into the infield from right field.
Only Judge wasn’t looking, and the ball nailed him in the head, knocking his sunglasses off and leaving a small cut near his right eye. The wound required a bandage to stop the bleeding, but Judge stayed in the game.
“Confusion,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I didn’t know what happened initially. [It just] felt like something happened. Of course I was a little concerned.”
Avoiding an injury to the best player in baseball was on the Yankees’ very short list of positives in another sloppy, draining defeat to their crosstown rivals. With the loss, the Yankees, who held a three-game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East standings entering June 30, find themselves tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for second place three games behind the Blue Jays heading into Sunday’s Subway Series finale.
The nosedive has been fueled by messy defense and a depleted pitching staff that has encountered a wall.
“It’s been a terrible week,” said Boone, who before the game announced starter Clarke Schmidt will likely undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery.
For the second straight day, the Mets capitalized on mistakes and cracked timely home runs. After slugging three homers in Friday’s series opener, the Mets hit three more Saturday — a grand slam in the first inning from Brandon Nimmo to take a 4-0 lead and two home runs from Pete Alonso to widen the gap.
Nimmo’s blast — his second grand slam in four days — came after Yankees left fielder Jasson Dominguez misplayed a ball hit by the Mets’ leadoff hitter in the first inning. On Friday, he misread Nimmo’s line drive and watched it sail over his head for a double. On Saturday, he was slow to react to Starling Marte’s flyball in the left-center field gap and braked without catching or stopping it, allowing Marte to advance to second for a double. Yankees starter Carlos Rodon then walked two batters to load the bases for Nimmo, who yanked a mistake, a 1-2 slider over the wall.
“That slider probably needs to be down,” said Rodon, who allowed seven runs (six earned) over five innings. “A lot of misses today and they punished them.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s throwing woes at third base — a position the Yankees have asked him to play to accommodate DJ LeMahieu at second base — continued in the second inning when he fielded Tyrone Taylor’s groundball and sailed a toss over first baseman Cody Bellinger’s head. Taylor was given second base and scored moments later on Marte’s RBI single.
The Yankees were charged with their second error in the Mets’ four-run seventh inning when center fielder Trent Grisham charged Francisco Lindor’s single up the middle and had it bounce off the heel of his glove.
The mistake allowed a run to score from second base without a throw, extending the Mets lead back to three runs after the Yankees had chipped their deficit, and allowed a heads-up Lindor to advance to second base. Lindor later scored on Alonso’s second home run, a three-run blast off left-hander Jayvien Sandridge in the pitcher’s major league debut.
“Just got to play better,” Judge said. “That’s what it comes down to. It’s fundamentals. Making a routine play, routine. It’s just the little things. That’s what it kind of comes down to. But every good team goes through a couple bumps in the road.”
This six-game losing skid has looked very different from the Yankees’ first. That rough patch, consisting of losses to the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels, was propelled by offensive troubles. The Yankees scored six runs in the six games and gave up just 16. This time, run prevention is the issue; the Yankees have scored 34 runs and surrendered 54 in four games against the Blue Jays in Toronto and two in Queens.
“The offense is starting to swing the bat, put some runs on the board,” Boone said. “The pitching, which has kind of carried us a lot this season, has really, really struggled this week. We haven’t caught the ball as well as I think we should.
“So, look, when you live it and you’re going through it, it sucks, it hurts. But you got to be able to handle it. You got to be able to deal with it. You got to be able to weather it and come out of this and grow.”
Bobby Jenks, a two-time All-Star pitcher for the Chicago White Sox who was on the roster when the franchise won the 2005 World Series, died Friday in Sintra, Portugal, the team announced.
Jenks, 44, who had been diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, a form of stomach cancer, this year, spent six seasons with the White Sox from 2005 to 2010 and also played for the Boston Red Sox in 2011. The reliever finished his major league career with a 16-20 record, 3.53 ERA and 173 saves.
“We have lost an iconic member of the White Sox family today,” White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. “None of us will ever forget that ninth inning of Game 4 in Houston, all that Bobby did for the 2005 World Series champions and for the entire Sox organization during his time in Chicago. He and his family knew cancer would be his toughest battle, and he will be missed as a husband, father, friend and teammate. He will forever hold a special place in all our hearts.”
After Jenks moved to Portugal last year, he was diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis in his right calf. That eventually spread into blood clots in his lungs, prompting further testing. He was later diagnosed with adenocarcinoma and began undergoing radiation.
In February, as Jenks was being treated for the illness, the White Sox posted “We stand with you, Bobby” on Instagram, adding in the post that the club was “thinking of Bobby as he is being treated.”
In 2005, as the White Sox ended an 88-year drought en route to the World Series title, Jenks appeared in six postseason games. Chicago went 11-1 in the playoffs, and he earned saves in series-clinching wins in Game 3 of the ALDS at Boston, and Game 4 of the World Series against the Houston Astros.
In 2006, Jenks saved 41 games, and the following year, he posted 40 saves. He also retired 41 consecutive batters in 2007, matching a record for a reliever.
“You play for the love of the game, the joy of it,” Jenks said in his last interview with SoxTV last year. “It’s what I love to do. I [was] playing to be a world champion, and that’s what I wanted to do from the time I picked up a baseball.”
A native of Mission Hills, California, Jenks appeared in 19 games for the Red Sox and was originally drafted by the then-Anaheim Angels in the fifth round of the 2000 draft.
Jenks is survived by his wife, Eleni Tzitzivacos, their two children, Zeno and Kate, and his four children from a prior marriage, Cuma, Nolan, Rylan and Jackson.
ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.
NEW YORK — The New York Yankees, digging for options to bolster their infield, have signed third baseman Jeimer Candelario to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the affiliate announced Saturday.
Candelario, 31, was released by the Cincinnati Reds on June 23, halfway through a three-year, $45 million contract he signed before the start of last season. The decision was made after Candelario posted a .707 OPS in 2024 and batted .113 with a .410 OPS in 22 games for the Reds before going on the injured list in April with a back injury.
The performance was poor enough for Cincinnati to cut him in a move that Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall described as a sunk cost.
For the Yankees, signing Candelario is a low-cost flier on a player who recorded an .807 OPS just two seasons ago as they seek to find a third baseman to move Jazz Chisholm Jr. to second base, his natural position.
Candelario is the second veteran infielder the Yankees have signed to a minor league contract in the past three days; they agreed to terms with Nicky Lopez on Thursday.