The Dallas Stars will look to take a commanding 3-1 series lead in the Western Conference Final as they visit the Edmonton Oilers for Game 4. The latter will try to head back to Dallas with the series tied 2-2. Before that, let’s check out some stats, facts, and notes for the game.
Related: Projected Lineups for Stars vs Oilers – Game 4
Of all the 17 Conference Final games since 2023, nine of them have gone to overtime (52.9 percent). Of these overtime contests, the home team has won five times — the Oilers were one of the teams to win on the road, beating the Stars in Game 1 of this series by a 3-2 score.
Thanks to the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers having an overtime contest in Game 4 of their series on May 28, the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs have reached four overtime games already in the Conference Final. It is the fourth time in the last five playoffs that this has been the case. The most ever recorded between the two Conference Final series was six, set back in 2002.
With a win, the Oilers can make the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fifth time in the last 10 postseasons that both the Eastern Conference Final and Western Conference Final were tied 2-2 through four contests. Before this last-10-postseason mark, this only happened twice from 1980 to 2015, occurring in 1985 and 2004.
In franchise history, the Stars have 10 multi-goal comeback wins on the road in the postseason, accomplishing their 10th against the Oilers in Game 3. Five of these wins have come in Edmonton, doing so three times in the 2020 bubble postseason where the Oilers were one of the hosts, and once against the Oilers themselves in 1999 — the Stars went on to win the Stanley Cup.
In terms of points, Miro Heiskanen (15) for the Stars and Evan Bouchard (22) for the Oilers are the two best-scoring defensemen remaining in the postseason. Interestingly, their points per game (P/G) have increased in the playoffs versus the regular season career-wise. Heiskanen (0.73 P/G versus 0.61 P/G) and Bouchard (1.12 P/G versus 0.65 P/G) are built for the clutch.
Related: 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Conference Finals Hub
Among defensemen with at least 25 games played in the postseason, Bouchard’s 0.47 P/G increase in the playoffs versus the regular season is the most in NHL history. Among all skaters, he is second behind Barry Pedersen, who finished with a 0.60 P/G improvement in the playoffs (1.53 P/G) versus the regular season (0.93 P/G) by the time he finished his career.
Getting to Bouchard again, he has 48 career playoff points in just 43 games played. Only Bobby Orr, Brian Leetch, Cale Makar, and Paul Reinhart have ever reached the 50-point mark in less than 50 contests as a defenseman. Two of these four (Orr, Leetch) are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, while three of them (Orr, Leetch, Makar) have won both the Norris Trophy and the Conn Smythe.
Stats and facts courtesy of NHL PR