Stars vs. Oilers Game 4 – Pregame stats, facts and notes – Hockey Writers – NHL News

The Dallas Stars will look to take a 3-1 series lead in the Western Conference Final as they visit the Edmonton Oilers for Game 4. The latter will try to bounce back from Dallas with the series tied at 2-2. Before that, let's check out some stats, facts, and game notes.

Related: Proposed Star vs Oilers Lineup – Game 4

Of all 17 Conference Finals games since 2023, nine of them have gone to overtime (52.9 percent). In these overtime contests, the home team has won five times — the Oilers are one of the teams that won on the road, defeating the Stars in Game 1 of this series 3-2.

Thanks to the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers having an overtime contest in Game 4 of their series on May 28, the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs have reached four overtime games already in the Conference Final. This is the fourth time in the last five games this has happened. The all-time streak between two Conference Finals was six, set in 2002.

With a win, the Oilers can make the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fifth time in the past 10 postseasons in which both the Eastern Conference Finals and Western Conference Finals have tied 2-2 in four contests. Prior to this 10-season mark, this had only happened twice from 1980 to 2015, in 1985 and 2004.

In franchise history, the Stars have achieved the most 10-goal wins in postseason travel, reaching the 10th against the Oilers in Game 3. Five of those wins were in Edmonton, making it three times in the postseason bubble of 2020 where the Oilers were one of the hosts, and along with the Oilers themselves in 1999 – the Stars went on to win the Stanley Cup.

In terms of points, Miro Heiskanen (15) of the Stars and Evan Bouchard (22) of the Oilers are the backs who scored the most goals in the postseason. Interestingly, their points per game (P/G) increased in the playoffs compared to the regular season career-wise. Heiskanen (0.73 P/G vs. 0.61 P/G) and Bouchard (1.12 P/G vs. 0.65 P/G) are clutch.

Related: 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Conference Finals Hub

Among defensemen with at least 25 games played in the postseason, Bouchard's 0.47 P/G increase in the playoffs compared to the regular season is the most in NHL history. Among all skaters, he is second only to Barry Pedersen, who finished with a 0.60 P/G improvement in the playoffs (1.53 P/G) compared to the regular season (0.93 P/G) when he finished his career.

Coming to Bouchard again, he has 48 points in 43 games played. Only Bobby Orr, Brian Leetch, Cale Makar, and Paul Reinhart have ever reached 50 points in fewer than 50 games as a defenseman. Two of these four (Orr, Leetch) are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and three of them (Orr, Leetch, Makar) won the Norris Trophy and the Conn Smythe.

Stats and facts courtesy of NHL PR