Stars vs Oilers: 3 key matchups to watch out for in Western Conference Finals Game 4 

The Dallas Stars are set to take on the Edmonton Oilers in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday, May 27, at 8 p.m. ET. Edmonton has a 2-1 series lead over Dallas.

Ahead of Game 4, here are three key matchups to watch out for.

3 key player matchups to watch out for in Stars vs Oilers

#1 Jake Oettinger vs. Stuart Skinner

The biggest matchup in Game 4 is a battle of the goaltenders in the Dallas Stars' Jake Oettinger vs. the Edmonton Oilers' Stuart Skinner.

Oettinger struggled in Game 3, but he is one of the best goalies in the world and should be much better here.

“Listen, we wouldn’t be sitting here in the conference finals without Jake Oettinger,” Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said, via Sportsnet. "Tonight was one of those games where they were opportunistic, and once they got the lead, we’re pushing to get back in, and then there’s Grade A’s the other way.

“One thing I know about Jake Oettinger, for me, is he’s one of the best response goalies in the league, and I know he’s not going to drag around tonight’s game.”

Goalie is really the only position that can single-handedly win or lose games, and if either goalie is hot, it is good news for their team to win.

#2 Connor McDavid vs. Esa Lindell

Esa Lindell is supposed to be Dallas' shutdown defenseman, but in Game 3, he struggled.

Lindell plays with Miro Heiskanen, who is an offensive defenseman, so Lindell has defensive responsibility. Meanwhile, he is often on the ice when Connor McDavid takes the ice, so he has the job of trying to slow McDavid down.

If Lindell can keep McDavid's line to only one goal this game, Dallas has a good chance to win.

#3 Oilers' bottom six vs. Stars' bottom six

In the playoffs, teams need their bottom-six forwards and depth players to chip in on the scoresheet, and that will be the case in Game 4.

Edmonton will try to shut down Mikko Rantanen, while Dallas will look to slow down McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. If both teams can limit the opposing team's stars, the depth players likely will decide the game and which team wins the pivotal Game 4.