Jake Oettinger gave his teammates the chance to get up off the canvas Saturday, and they took advantage.

Once they did, Dallas was able to use a complete team effort to take a 3-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers at American Airlines Center to even its best-of-seven Western Conference Final series at 1-1.

“Jake was phenomenal,” said Stars captain Jamie Benn. “We wouldn’t have won tonight’s game without Jakey.”

Oettinger made 28 saves, with 15 of them coming in the first period. This may have been a turning point in the series. In Game 1, the Oilers outlasted the Stars in double overtime and then dominated the first period on Saturday, sending a message that they might take control of the series. However, Oettinger refused to let that happen. While the puck remained largely in the Stars’ end, Dallas managed only four shots on net against Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner.

This created significant unease in the home crowd and possibly even in the Dallas dressing room. “If he doesn’t play the way he did in the first, we’re in a big hole and we might not get out of it,” said Stars coach Pete DeBoer. “He was our best player tonight and he allowed us to weather the storm in the first, get our legs under us and find a way to get control of that game.”

Benn displayed his dominance in the opening period by netting the Stars’ lone goal, their sole shot on goal for a considerable duration. This goal came during an energetic play where he swiftly moved up the right wing and beat Skinner for his fourth playoff goal. Edmonton quickly responded 44 seconds later to tie the game, which remained level until three minutes into the third period.

Despite not altering the score, Benn and his linemates made significant contributions. They established momentum early in the second period with a determined shift, leading Dallas to an 11-8 advantage in shots on goal. The Stars’ performance improved in the third period, limiting the potent Oilers to just five shots on goal.

“He’s been our leader all season and especially in the playoffs,” DeBoer said. “I believe he’s taken his game to an even higher level for us.”

Concurrently, an unlikely group of Stars players – Mason Marchment, Ty Dellandrea, Sam Steel, Ryan Suter and Alexander Petrovic – scored the go-ahead goal. After a hard-fought shift where the Stars won several puck battles, Suter took a shot that Marchement was able to deflect into the net. This goal generated a sense of both relief and confidence. “All season, someone different has stepped up,” said Suter. “That’s the advantage of our team depth. Pete trusts everybody. We were all working hard for it… It works well because we have a system that everyone understands and executes. We all try to play the same way. That consistency helps.”

The team’s strong defensive play shut down the Oilers, and Esa Lindell added an empty-net goal to seal the final score. The Stars have experienced ups and downs throughout the playoffs, overcoming deficits in each of the first two rounds. While there were concerns about potentially falling behind 0-2 in this series, they were able to rely on past lessons and their ability to bounce back.

“We weren’t good enough in the first,” Marchment said. “Jakey stood on his head and made some massive saves, allowing us to find our footing after the first period. After that, we took control and started playing our game, staying low and getting pucks in. For the rest of the game, we did an excellent job.”

The Stars will now hit the road, where they have a 5-1 record so far in the playoffs. They won both Games 3 and 4 in Vegas and Colorado, but they anticipate the challenge will be just as tough, if not tougher, in Edmonton. When asked about his expectations for Games 3 and 4 in Edmonton, Benn said, “Craziness.

They’ve got great fans up there who are passionate about hockey. “DeBoer believes it’s nothing the team hasn’t faced before. “For sure, but is it any crazier than Vegas on the road or Colorado on the road?” DeBoer said. “It’s another really tough rink with great fans supporting a great team. We’ve got a formula that works for us, but we’ve got to go up there and do it again.”