Stars score 3 PP goals in 5 1/2 minutes early in 3rd, rally to beat Oilers 6-3 in Game 1

DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Stars powered their way to a series-opening victory in their Western Conference final rematch with the Edmonton Oilers.

And it was quick turnaround.

Miro Heiskanen, Mikael Granlund and Matt Duchene scored power-play goals in a 5:26 span early in the third period, when the Stars overcame a two-goal deficit in a 6-3 victory Wednesday night.

“It started with a power play," Duchene said. "You get one right way, and it’s like, ‘Hey, we’re back in it now with momentum.’ Get another one right away.”

Dallas opened the third period with a man advantage from a penalty that carried over from the second. Heiskanen scored 32 seconds in on a shot from near the blue line, Granlund tied it at 3 and Duchene put the Stars ahead to stay with a second-effort score.

“I didn’t feel through 40 minutes that we had made (the Oilers) earn the position they were in. so, guys responded. We got fortunate. We got some power-play goals,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. "Happy for our power play. It took a lot of heat last year at this point of the year. it was the difference tonight for us, so it’s great.''

Tyler Seguin had two goals and an assist for the Stars. Esa Lindell added a empty-netter that went almost the entire length of the ice for their first five-goal third period in a playoff game. Jake Oettinger stopped 24 shots.

Game 2 is Friday night in Dallas.

Dallas went 0 for 14 on power plays in losing the West final last year in six games, and gave up two short-handed goals in the process. The Stars also failed to convert with a man advantage only 7 1/2 minutes into this opener, but quickly turned that around in the third period.

Leon Draisaitl had a goal and two assists for the rested Oilers, who played for the first time since wrapping up their second-round series a week earlier in Game 5 at Vegas. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a power-play goal and an assist, defenseman Evan Bouchard had his fifth goal and Connor McDavid two assists.

Stuart Skinner, who had lost his starting job in these playoffs before Calvin Pickard got hurt in the last series, stopped 22 of 27 shots. Skinner had closed out the Golden Knights with consecutive shutouts.

“Goals have been going in a little differently, in different ways. Again, it’s a different series so they show us different things,” Skinner said. “The PK, it’s been a little bit up and down. It was bad at the start of the first round then got better. It was great all series against Vegas and (now) a struggle for one game. I mean, again, it's one game.”

Heiskanen and Duchene both scored for the first time this postseason.

It was only the fourth game for Heiskanen since missing the last 32 regular-season games and first 10 playoff games because of left knee surgery. He scored a wrister from near the boards just inside the blue line.

Duchene got his goal after his initial shot went off teammate Roope Hintz, who was laid out on the ice after getting knocked down. The puck went right back to Duchene, who then flicked it into the net.

“The first one that hit him, I’m like, this is kind of par for the course this postseason for me. If there’s something that could go wrong, it did, and then it comes back and goes in,” Duchene said. “I couldn’t believe I still had room. Kind of a funny one. But it feels good.”

The Stars won their seventh consecutive home game this postseason, a first since the franchise moved to Dallas in 1993. The Stars also have won back-to-back series openers after losing eight consecutive Game 1s.

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

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) clears the goal against Dallas Stars center Sam Steel (18) during the first period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Dallas Stars center Mikael Granlund (64) celebrates a goal with teammates Jason Robertson (21) and Mason Marchment during the third period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs against the Edmonton Oilers, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin (91) celebrates his goal with teammate center Sam Steel (18) during the third period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs against the Edmonton Oilers, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) and defenseman John Klingberg (36) defend the goal against Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin (91) during the third period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (29) celebrates his goal with the bench during the first period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs against the Dallas Stars, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin (91) scores a goal against Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) during the first period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs against the Dallas Stars, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) defends the goal during the first period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs against the Dallas Stars, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Edmonton Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (93) celebrates his goal with teammate Connor McDavid (97) as Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) and defenseman Esa Lindell (23) look on during the second period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) skates with the puck against Edmonton Oilers right wing Connor Brown (28) during the second period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Lamar Jackson thought it was over. That the Baltimore Ravens' unwieldy season would end up in a familiar spot: the playoffs.

Then, rookie kicker Tyler Loop's potential game-winning field goal from 44 yards out drifted a little right. And then a little further right. And then a little further right still.

By the time it fluttered well wide of the goalposts, the playoffs were gone. So was Jackson's certainty after a 26-24 loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday night sent the Ravens into what could be a turbulent offseason.

“I'm definitely stunned, man,” Jackson said. “I thought we had it in the bag. ... I don't know what else we can do.”

Jackson, who never really seemed fully healthy during his eighth season as he battled one thing after another, did his part. The two-time NFL MVP passed for 238 yards and three touchdowns, including two long connections with Zay Flowers in the fourth quarter that put the Ravens (8-9) in front.

It just wasn't enough. Baltimore's defense, which played most of the second half without star safety Kyle Hamilton after Hamilton entered the concussion protocol, wilted against 42-year-old Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers passed for a season-high 294 yards, including a 26-yard flip to a wide-open Calvin Austin with 55 seconds to go after a defender slipped, symbolic of a season in which Baltimore's defense only occasionally found its form.

Still, the Ravens had a chance when Jackson found Isaiah Likely for a 28-yard gain on fourth down from midfield. A couple of snaps later, the 24-year-old Loop walked on to try to lift Baltimore to its third straight division title.

Instead, the rookie said he “mishit” it. Whatever it was, it never threatened to sneak between the goalposts.

“It’s disappointing,” Loop said.

Loop was talking about the game. He might as well have been talking about his team's season.

The Ravens began 1-5 as Jackson dealt with injuries and the defense struggled to get stops. Baltimore found a way to briefly tie the Steelers for first in late November, only to then split its next four games, including a home loss to Pittsburgh.

Still, when Jackson and the Ravens walked onto the Acrisure Stadium turf on Sunday night in the 272nd and final game of the NFL regular season, Baltimore was confident. The Ravens drilled Pittsburgh in the opening round of the playoffs a year ago behind the ever-churning legs of running back Derrick Henry.

When Henry ripped off a gain of 40-plus yards on the game's first offensive snap, it looked like it was going to be more of the same. While Henry did rush for 126 yards and joined Hall of Famer Barry Sanders as the only running backs in NFL history to have five 1,500-yard seasons, he was less effective in the second half.

Even that first run was telling of what night it was going to be, as an illegal block by wide receiver Zay Flowers cost Baltimore some field position. The Ravens ended up scoring on the drive anyway, thanks to a 38-yard fourth-down flip from Jackson to a wide-open Devontez Walker, but it started a pattern that was hard to shake as several steps forward were met with one step back on a night the Ravens finished with nine penalties for 78 yards.

“We were having a lot of penalties, which kept stopping drives," Jackson said. “But I'm proud of my guys because we kept overcoming. We kept overcoming adversity and situations like this. Divisional games (can) be like that sometimes.”

Particularly when the Steelers are on the other side of the line of scrimmage. Pittsburgh has won 10 of the last 13 meetings. And while a handful of them have been in late-season matchups with the Ravens already assured of reaching the playoffs, the reality is the Steelers have been able to regularly do something that most others have not: found a way to beat Jackson.

“It comes down to situations like this,” Jackson said. “Two-point conversion one year. Field goal another year. And again this year. Just got to find a way to get that win here.”

And figure out who is going to be around to help get it.

Head coach John Harbaugh's 18th season in Baltimore ended with the Ravens missing the playoffs for just the second time in eight years. Jackson turns 29 this week and is still one of the most electric players in the league.

Yet Harbaugh and Jackson have yet to find a way to have that breakthrough season that Harbaugh enjoyed with Joe Flacco in 2013 when the Ravens won the Super Bowl.

There was hope when the season began that the roadblocks that have long been in the franchise's way — Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes chief among them — would be gone.

While the Ravens did get their way in a sense — the Chiefs will watch the playoffs from afar for the first time in a decade after a nightmarish season of their own — it never all came together.

Jackson declined to endorse Harbaugh returning for a 19th season, saying the loss was still too fresh to zoom out on what it might mean for the franchise going forward.

Harbaugh, for his part, certainly seems up for running it back in the fall.

“I love these guys,” he said afterward. “I love these guys.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, right, hands the ball off to running back Derrick Henry (22) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh talks with an offical during the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, left, greets Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) after an NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Jabrill Peppers (40) reacts after Baltimore Ravens kicker Tyler Loop (33) missed a field goal attempt in the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)