The Edmonton Oilers are on actual fire, and they just dropped another bombshell win in Game 3 like it’s no biggie. That’s two back-to-back dubs, and we are seriously not okay (in the best way). Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman were absolutely cooking, each lighting the lamp twice as the Oilers steamrolled the Stars 6-1 at a very vibey Rogers Place. Hyman tossed in an assist just for good measure, Evan Bouchard slapped in a rocket, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins plus Evander Kane? Oh, just casually dropping three assists each. Meanwhile, Stuart Skinner turned into an actual wall; 33 saves, no notes. Dallas tried to keep up, but with Roope Hintz out and Jake Oettinger facing fire with just 18 saves, it was giving… struggle.

Bouchard kicked off the party in the first, blasting one past a helpless Oettinger, and literally seconds later, McDavid did what McDavid does; roofed it like he was born to do this. Robertson managed to sneak one through for Dallas, but McDavid hit back with a wrist shot. The second period was a shooting gallery (21-7 for Dallas), but Skinner just stood tall like a playoff poet. Hyman turned the third into his personal highlight reel; breakaway, saucer pass, full-on magic. And then came John Klingberg with the exclamation point on the power play. Oh, and after all this wildness? One of Edmonton’s stars made a pretty intense confession after taking a scary hit during the chaos.

Game 3 wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Oilers, as the scoreboard said domination, but behind the scenes? Things got a lil’ shaky. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had everyone holding their breath (literally) when he went crashing hard into the boards like a runaway comet. He headed down the tunnel not once, but twice, but because he’s built different, Ryan bounced back like a warrior poet and skated in the third like nothing happened.

In the post-game presser, he kept it cool and calm, brushing it off like a seasoned vet. “I lost my breath for a bit, but I was fine,” he said. Jason Gregor even dropped the update on X, making sure everyone knew #93 was still kicking. But still, let’s be real, with a few banged-up bodies floating around after that wild ride of a game, the health radar in Oil Country is definitely blinking a little brighter now.

Game 3 had its wild highs but also some nerve-wracking lows for the Oilers’ fam. Yeah, the boys bagged another sweet win, but the injury bug decided to crash the party too. First up, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins got tangled up thanks to Stars’ big man Lian Bichsel; his leg clipped RNH just enough to send him flying into the boards like a scene out of a slow-mo drama reel. And that wasn’t all. Trent Frederic also hit the post a little too hard, courtesy of another bump from Bichsel. While neither play screamed “dirty,” what really raised eyebrows was Alex Petrovic’s hit on Connor Brown. The puck wasn’t even in the zip code, and Petrovic went straight for the head. No call. Brown exited the game, and to add salt to the wound? The Stars scored on that shift.

Moreover, the Oilers are still skating without their rock-solid D-man Mattias Ekholm. Even though he looked good in practice, Coach Kris Knoblauch subtly hinted he’s not quite game-ready, so fans are left holding their breath a bit longer. Ekholm’s been dealing with that stubborn injury since March; came back for one game in April, only to tweak it again. No doubt the squad needs their defensive backbone, especially in a series this intense. And circling back to Ryan? Yeah, they definitely need him in that lineup. 

Edmonton Oilers’ ‘Swiss Army Knife’ is indeed a crucial player for the team!

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was on fire Sunday, bossing the ice like the seasoned pro he is. He scooped up the puck, cruised into the offensive zone, and laid a perfect pass on a silver platter for Evan Bouchard to blast the Oilers’ first goal. Not stopping there, RNH was back at it moments later, feeding Connor McDavid a slick pass for a smooth 3-on-1 finish that had the crowd buzzing with a 2-0 lead. When the Stars tried to claw back in the third, Nugent-Hopkins held the line, then found Zach Hyman with a stretch feed that crushed the comeback hopes and gave the Oilers a sweet 4-1 edge; a moment the packed Rogers Place fans could finally breathe easy.

Everyone’s been chatting about how Nugent-Hopkins is basically the glue that holds this team together. Leon Draisaitl joked last season that RNH is head coach Kris Knoblauch’s favorite player, and McDavid didn’t hold back calling him the “Swiss Army Knife” of the NHL Oilers after their dominant 6-1 Game 3 win. And honestly? It’s easy to see why. This guy racks up points like it’s nothing; three assists Sunday alone, and seven points over the first three games of this series, which is wild, tying for third-most in the last 30 years of conference finals. Knoblauch put it perfectly: “You want players with flexibility … Ryan’s that kind of player.”

Even Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner, who grew up watching RNH, couldn’t hide the admiration. He called him “such a huge part of our team,” praising the veteran’s crazy work ethic and calm leadership. Nugent-Hopkins has been through the ringer with Edmonton, sticking around through some rough years when the playoffs felt like a distant dream. But now? He’s soaking in the good vibes and energy from the roaring fans. “It’s always been a ton of fun to play here in front of these fans,” he said, keeping it real about the journey and the grind. With all he brings every shift, it’s no wonder the Oilers lean on him hard and he’s the heartbeat of this squad.