McDavid gets the winner in the 2nd OT after Oilers overcome captain's penalty to beat Stars 3-2

DALLAS (AP) — Oilers captain Connor McDavid felt absolutely miserable sitting in the penalty box after he was called for a double-minor penalty only seconds into the first overtime of the Western Conference Final opener.

After his teammates bailed out McDavid with yet another penalty kill, they were mobbing him when he scored only 32 seconds into the second overtime on a tip-in from Evan Bouchard to give Edmonton a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars on Thursday night.

“It was nice to score an overtime goal," McDavid said. "A big goal.”

Especially after what happened to start overtime.

McDavid and Matt Duchene were skating away from the center circle by each other after the Oilers captain had won the faceoff between the two to open the first overtime period. There wasn’t initially a whistle when Duchene took a stick to the face, though McDavid argued that his stick was being held.

It wasn't until Stars goalie Jake Oettinger secured the puck on a shot by Bouchard to stop the clock 17 seconds into overtime that officials did a replay review. They called a high-stick penalty after seeing that and the blood on Duchene's lower lip.

“My thing was I don’t know what I’m supposed to do there," McDavid said. "I am going forward trying to play the puck. It feels like he’s holding my stick. I didn’t even really feel the high stick at all. I think his face comes down on my stick. Maybe just unlucky, I guess."

As for his time in the penalty box: “Really long. Really, really long. Miserable. Hated every second of it.”

Leon Draisaitl extended his playoff-opening points streak to 13 games with a goal, and Zach Hyman had a goal and an assist for the Oilers. Stuart Skinner stopped 31 shots, nine in the overtime, three nights after they wrapped up their second-round series with a Game 7 victory on the road at Vancouver.

Tyler Seguin had both goals for the Stars, who have lost Game 1 in their last seven playoff series since 2022.

“I think we’ve had some Game 1's where we’ve really been feeling it out and laying a few eggs,” Seguin said. “That wasn’t the case tonight. This was a little different. So, yeah, lot of things to build off of.”

Game 2 is Saturday night.

Dallas was 0 for 3 on power plays in regulation, and called a timeout after three shots and Jason Robertson hitting a post through the first three minutes of that double-minor penalty. But the Stars got only one more shot on net after that before McDavid was out of the penalty box.

McDavid had a chance to end the game with about 5 1/2 minutes left in the first overtime, but his shot was blocked when Oettinger and defenseman Chris Tanev both put their sticks down to keep the puck out of the net. The Oilers captain couldn't be stopped in the second overtime.

"We’re not surprised in here. He’s the best in the world,” Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm said. “He had a good look in the first overtime, too ... By my experience of being here, he doesn’t get denied twice.”

Oettinger had 35 saves.

Seguin tied it at 2 with 3:23 left in the regulation after an active shift when he touched the puck several times before scoring to the open net to the right of Skinner. Evgenii Dadonov was between two defenders on the other side when the puck went off his stick and across the crease.

Edmonton scored first about a minute into the second period when Leon Draisaitl got his ninth goal of the postseason. His shot from just inside the right circle after Brett Kulak’s shot ricocheted off Stars defenseman Esa Lindell.

While not credited with an assist, McDavid helped set up that initial score from behind the net. He fell down and was in a sitting position against the board when he pushed the puck out front, where Hyman got a piece of it before Kulak.

McDavid did get the helper on Hyman’s goal that made it 2-0 about 3 1/2 minutes later. The captain’s backhanded crossing pass hit the stick of Tanev before Hyman took the puck and scored.

Edmonton almost restored its two-goal advantage when Ekholm got a puck past Oettinger with about eight minutes left in the second period, but it bounced off the crossbar.

The Stars got within 2-1 when Jamie Benn, their captain, made a push toward the net that drew out Skinner. With the goalie spread eagle and leaning forward, Benn had a backhander that went behind him and across the crease to Seguin, who poked it through Kulak’s legs.

Including the double-minor in overtime, the Oilers have killed 20 consecutive penalties over five-plus games. They are the best in the league this postseason at 92.5% (37 of 40), after ranking in the middle of the pack during the regular season.

“They’re just so connected. So in sync and skating well,” McDavid said of the Oilers' PK unit. “They have the extra guy, but sometimes you can’t even tell. It’s so fun to watch.”

And quite a relief after being the player in the box.

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) stands by the net as the Edmonton Oilers celebrate a goal by Zach Hyman (18) during the second period of Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Stars' Jamie Benn (14) and Edmonton Oilers' Zach Hyman (18) collide while competing for the puck during the second period of Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin (91) is congratulated for a goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the second period of Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene (95) passes the puck next to Edmonton Oilers' Dylan Holloway (55) during the second period of Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97), Leon Draisaitl (29), Evan Bouchard (2) and Brett Kulak (27) celebrate after Draisaitl scored against the Dallas Stars during the second period of Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Stars left wing Mason Marchment (27) shoots as Edmonton Oilers' Vincent Desharnais (73) defends during the first period of Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Edmonton Oilers' Evan Bouchard (2) and Stuart Skinner (74) and Dallas Stars center Radek Faksa (12) watch the puck during the first period of Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) defends against an airborne puck under pressure from Dallas Stars left wing Mason Marchment (27) during the first period of Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Edmonton Oilers left wing Zach Hyman (18) and Dallas Stars center Joe Pavelski (16) compete for control of the puck during the first period of Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) works to get the puck past Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston (53) during the first period of Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, rear, celebrates after scoring against the Dallas Stars during the second period of Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse (25) and goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) eye the puck on a shot by the Dallas Stars during overtime in Game 1 of the NHL hockey Western Conference Stanley Cup playoff finals, Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, center left, gestures toward teammate defenseman Evan Bouchard (2) as teammates left wing Zach Hyman, center right, and center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, top left, look on after McDavid scored the game-winning goal on an assist by Bouchard during the second overtime in Game 1 of the NHL hockey Western Conference Stanley Cup playoff finals against the Dallas Stars, Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn, right, looks on as Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) reacts after a ruling against him by the officials during overtime in Game 1 of the NHL hockey Western Conference Stanley Cup playoff finals, Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Edmonton Oilers players celebrate a game-winning goal by center Connor McDavid, bottom, left, during the second overtime in Game 1 of the NHL hockey Western Conference Stanley Cup playoff finals against the Dallas Stars, Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

PHOENIX (AP) — A judge on Friday rejected an effort by GOP lawmakers to use the term “unborn human being” to refer to a fetus in the pamphlet that Arizona voters will use to weigh a ballot measure that would expand abortion access in the state.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Christopher Whitten said the wording the legislative council suggested is “packed with emotion and partisan meaning” and asked for what he called more “neutral” language. The measure aims to expand abortion access from 15 weeks to 24 weeks – the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb.

It would allow exemptions to save the woman’s life or to protect her physical or mental health. It would also prevent the state from adopting or enforcing laws that would forbid access to the procedure.

Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma, who is a co-chair of the legislative council, said the group will appeal the court’s decision to the state Supreme Court.

“The ruling is just plain wrong and clearly partisan,” said Toma, a Republican.

Aaron Thacker, communications director for Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, noted that the final decision on the ballot itself remains in the air.

“There’s still a lot of scenarios at play," he said. "Even after the secretary certifies the signatures, the courts have to decide if counties can put it on the ballot or not."

Arizona for Abortion Access, the organization leading the ballot measure campaign, sued the council earlier this month over the suggested language and advocated for the term “fetus,” which the council rejected.

Attorney General Kris Mayes wrote in a motion to submit an amicus brief that “fetus" and “pregnancy” are both neutral terms that the council could adopt.

“It’s incredibly important to us that Arizona voters get to learn more about and weigh our measure in objective and accurate terminology,” said Dawn Penich, communications director for the abortion access group.

Democrats have centered abortion rights in their campaigns in this year’s elections. Organizers in five other states have also proposed similar measures that would codify abortion access in their state constitutions: Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada and South Dakota.

Arizona organizers submitted more than double the amount of signatures needed for the measure to appear on the ballot.

FILE - Arizona abortion-rights supporters deliver over 800,000 petition signatures to the capitol to get abortion rights on the November general election ballot July 3, 2024, in Phoenix. A judge on Friday, July 26, rejected an effort by GOP lawmakers to use the term “unborn human being” to refer to a fetus in the pamphlet that Arizona voters will use to decide on a ballot measure that would expand abortion access in the state. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)