"Don't blame Skinner, blame the penalties": Oilers fans livid after Edmonton blows 3-1 lead in third period meltdown loss to Stars

The Edmonton Oilers had a 3-1 lead going into the third period on Wednesday night. But they could not hold it. The Dallas Stars scored five straight goals and won 6-3 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final at American Airlines Center.

Three of the five Dallas goals came on the power play. The Oilers took back-to-back penalties, and the Stars took full advantage. Dallas later added an even-strength goal and an empty-netter to finish the game. Overall, Dallas got four power-play chances and scored on three of them.

After Edmonton posted the final score on the official X account, fans shared their reactions in the comments.

“Don’t blame Skinner. Blame the penalties,” One fan wrote.

Others pointed to the team’s discipline issues.

"That penalty kill needs work. And the team needs more discipline. Onto the next," another fan wrote.

While fans from the United States took the chance to poke fun, others pointed out the various flaws in the teams.

“America still owns this sport 😭✌️,” a fan said.

"That game is an example of why lifelong Oilers fans have developed trust issues," a fan mentioned.

"Gotta get a kill and gotta play 60. That was 40 mins of solid hockey that tells me we can beat them. Matt Duchene cocking his head back and faking a call then getting the goal on that PP will come back to haunt the Stars when the refs go back and watch this game," one fan pointed out.

"0-for-14 on power-play opportunities in away games during the postseason. Figure it out," a fan wrote.

Edmonton will need to play smarter in Game 2, and avoiding penalties will be a big focus.

Oilers lose 6-3 to Dallas on Wednesday despite two strong periods

The Oilers looked strong early and led 3-1 after the second period in Game 1 against the Stars. Leon Draisaitl opened the scoring in the first with a shot from the circle. Tyler Seguin tied it 1-1 on a breakaway. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored on the power play to make it 2-1. Evan Bouchard added another to extend the lead to 3-1.

In the third, Miro Heiskanen made it 3-2 with a power-play goal. Mikael Granlund tied it 3-3 from the circle. Matt Duchene scored the third power-play goal of the period to give Dallas a 4-3 lead. Seguin tipped in a shot to make it 5-3, and Esa Lindell scored into an empty net for the 6-3 final.

Connor McDavid had two assists, and Stuart Skinner made 22 saves. Game 2 is scheduled for Friday at 8 p.m. ET.