The Dallas Stars could not find a way past Stuart Skinner in a 3-0 Game 2 loss against the Edmonton Oilers at American Airlines Center on Friday.

Finns!

Because the only truly notable play in the first 20 was a goal for Edmonton, I am going to focus on something far cooler and more interesting for you all.

After Dallas did not create a ton at 5-on-5 in Game 1, Stars coach Pete DeBoer opted to shuffle some lines for Game 2.

Here is the lineup they rolled out:

First of all, I love DeBoer bringing in Colin Blackwell. I think the Edmonton speed was tough for Dallas to handle in Game 1, and Blackwell brings more of that than Oskar Bäck. Blackwell has also come in after missing Game 1 of the first two rounds and made an immediate impact, usually remaining in the lineup the rest of the series.

The only change I would make to the forward lines is to swap Jamie Benn with Jason Robertson. But Robertson needs to get going post-injury to move up the lineup.

Second, I was very happy to see Esa Lindell paired with Miro Heiskanen. I have been hoping for this since Heiskanen’s return, as I think it allows Heiskanen and Thomas Harley to be the offensive-minded defensemen on their pairings, while Lindell and Cody Ceci/Ilya Lyubushkin can be the responsible adults when needed. It also allows DeBoer to roll out one of his No. 1 defensemen for 45/50 minutes of the game at least

By the way, I believe Lyubushkin and Alexander Petrovic are close to equal in their current play, but that Petrovic gets more out of Lian Bichsel, who is comfortable playing with his former AHL partner. I think that went into the decision to scratch Lyubushkin in Game 2.

Because of this change, the Stars were able to roll out the most amazing starting lineup. For the first time in NHL history, a team started five Finnish players. And of course, it was Dallas that made history in this way.

Love the move by DeBoer.

Two ways to look at it

Dallas found a way to win Game 1 despite Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl combining for five points. That is an awesome feat, and something that could make a huge difference in the series. Win games even when they are at their best, and you should be able to win a game or two when they aren’t, and take the series in six or seven games.

The other way to look at it is that the Stars are losing 3-0 after two periods (and lost by that same score) in a game where the Oilers superstars have just a single assist each. That is nothing for those two, and they have not been nearly as noticeable in Game 2. That’s good, don’t get me wrong. And it doesn’t happen often.

But allowing the Oilers depth to outscore you 3-0 is not good, and it is something the Stars will need to avoid to win this series. Simple as that.

This was terrifying, by the way, but Connor Brown luckily escaped with just a small cut to the mouth.

Adam Henrique left the game in the second period after a collision with Robertson, who was trying his best to stay onside.

The bigger picture is Roope Hintz

This was the bigger picture of the game. Late in the third period, Roope Hintz got into a battle with Darnell Nurse in front of the Edmonton net. Hintz got a cross-check on Nurse, who then turned around and slashed Hintz in the top of the skate. Hintz went down and was eventually helped off the ice and down the tunnel without putting any weight on his left foot.

Hintz did not return, and there was no update from DeBoer after the game. Hintz has a history of ankle and foot injuries.

Here’s what DeBoer had to say after the game:

“Does anyone in this room think that if Connor McDavid gets carried off the ice like that, that it’s not a five-minute major?”

The tough part here is that there is no right answer.

You can easily say Nurse is trying to slash Hintz in an unprotected spot on top of his skate. There’s an injury, so it’s a major. But you can also look at the cross checks Hintz is giving to Nurse and say it’s playoff hockey — where these types of cross checks and slashes happen all the time — and that it’s just unfortunate one of the players got injured.

Then the question surrounds any supplemental discipline for Nurse tomorrow. But if the on-ice officials called it a minor, how is it worth a fine or suspension?

As far as the Stars response, Mason Marchment said they will certainly remember that play when an opportunity arises in the future…

In reality, Dallas was the second-best team in the game, and has been for five, maybe five and a half periods of the series. Maybe they could’ve pulled off a miracle and scored three times with a major penalty in the final minutes. But probably not.

Either way, the series shifts to Edmonton 1-1, and we have a best-of-five to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.

Quotable

Stars coach Pete DeBoer on possibly playing without Roope Hintz

“We’ve dealt with that, we wouldn’t be sitting here if we weren’t able to deal with that or [aren’t] prepared to deal with that.”