Dallas, TX

Stars-Oilers feels like a toss-up after Dallas surrenders its road mystique in Game 4 loss

Published

2 years ago

May 30, 2024

Stars-Oilers feels like a toss-up after Dallas surrenders its road mystique in Game 4 loss

Wayne Gretzky was less than a decade removed from winning four Stanley Cups in Edmonton, so when he took the ice for a puck drop before a Stars-Oilers playoff game at Edmonton Coliseum in the late ‘90s, I watched and listened as delirium ensued.

It’s a bit quieter a generation later when The Great One speaks on the TNT studio broadcast, but when a man has 894 goals and 2,857 points to his credit, you might as well listen. And he didn’t exactly speak to fire up his old Oilers team Wednesday night.

”I think the Stars are gonna sit back in the locker room and say, ‘We don’t want to come back to Edmonton, we win tonight and we take this thing home.’ They’re going to come out hard in the first period,’’ Gretzky said.

Just 5 1/2 minutes into the first period of Game 4, Dallas had grabbed a 2-0 lead. The NHL’s best road team, one that had no trouble limiting high-scoring Colorado to one goal in each of the three games played in Denver the last round, was riding high.

Now The Great One did not have much to say regarding what might come later. And at the end of two periods, the Oilers had outshot Dallas 24-14, held a 4-2 advantage, sent two Stars down the tunnel in the second period — forward Mason Marchment (puck to the face) and defenseman Chris Tanev (puck to the unpadded leg) — and taken charge of Game 4. The Period of the Long Change had become the Period of the Long Series.

Marchment returned for the third period but Tanev, the trade deadline acquisition hailed by many as the best in the league who was so instrumental in keeping Jack Eichel and Nathan MacKinnon from killing this team the first two rounds, did not. As a result, Dallas lost a 5-2 game that included a late empty-netter. The Oilers were the first playoff team to score five unanswered goals on Dallas since Vegas won the Western Conference finals clincher 6-0 in Dallas last May.

Although the series will be tied at 2-2 when the puck drops Friday at the AAC — same as it was for Game 5 against Vegas about a month ago — this has to be a worrisome turn of events. As is so often the case in the Stanley Cup playoffs, all the things we thought we had learned from two straight Dallas wins pretty much got upended at Rogers Place on Wednesday.

Like the Oilers can’t score on the power play. Who cares? Neither can Dallas. And Edmonton took the lead in the middle of the second period on the series’ first special teams goal, a short-handed swipe by former Stars forward Mattias Janmark. When Leon Draisaitl knocked in his 10th goal of the playoffs just 51 seconds later, the Oilers had turned Dallas’ two-goal lead on its head and carried the 4-2 advantage into the final period.

Or like Dallas’ road mystique will carry the club. Suddenly a 6-1 record away from the AAC is a 6-2 record that doesn’t scare anybody in Edmonton.

On this night there was no pushback from the Stars. In Game 3, the Stars had erupted from a 2-0 deficit to strike three times in a span of 3:33 to gain control of the game. In Game 4 … a lot of nothing. Not even any great chances to speak of. Heck, the biggest save of the night was made by Jake Oettinger’s stick after he had completely lost it and it deflected a Connor McDavid shot deep in the crease.

In two nights in Edmonton, the Oilers scored eight goals without a drop from the league’s finest power play. They won Game 1 in Dallas without a power play goal. Although the regular season numbers favor Dallas, we know Edmonton got off to a terrible start the first 20 games before recording the most points in the last three-fourths of the season. The sense that Dallas has the edge in goal with Oettinger over Stuart Skinner still hangs in the air … but it hasn’t always meant much in these Western Conference finals and was completely irrelevant Wednesday.

What comes next? Jason Robertson broke out with a hat trick in Game 3 but Dallas’ top line of Roope Hintz, Tyler Seguin and Robo fired blanks Wednesday night. Nothing has been easy or quick for the Stars, taking seven games to knock off the Golden Knights and another six to vanquish Colorado. This one will go at least six and the dead-even nature of the series suggests the team that’s down after Game 5 will find a way to push on to Game 7.

Maybe then the Stars can ride Pete DeBoer’s 8-0 record in seventh games one more time to reach the Cup Final. History isn’t always the best card to play, but when your scoring and power play are inconsistent and your defense has just taken another hit, you hang onto any cards at your disposal.

Photos: Oilers’ barrage downs Stars in Game 4, ties series

On X/Twitter: @TimCowlishaw

Find more Stars coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

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Dallas, TX

High 5: Reserve players to watch in final 2 games

Published

6 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

High 5: Reserve players to watch in final 2 games

(Editor’s Note: Who doesn’t love lists? Throughout the season, ‘High 5’ will provide a top five list for many of the critical topics surrounding the Dallas Cowboys 2025 season.)

With the Dallas Cowboys officially eliminated from the playoff picture, it is now true evaluation time for the entire roster. This is a team that just landed five players on the Pro Bowl roster, with multiple reliable starters that were just outside the list of contenders. Meaning there is still talent on the roster to build upon for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.

One of the biggest questions about the roster has to do with the depth at certain positions of need. Dallas stacks up nicely when it comes to the offensive weapons and promising defensive prospects.

Another year, another young backup quarterback with questions surrounding his future with the franchise. Last season, it was Trey Lance, this year it’s Joe Milton. Dallas traded a 2025 fifth-round pick for Milton in April and have yet to see what he can really do as a backup in this organization.

In just his second year out of Tennessee, Milton’s contribution in the regular season was an incredible Week 18 performance last season, a touchdown pass late against the Broncos, and a fumble late in the game against the Chargers. Now, it appears Dak Prescott will play most of the remaining snaps, but this may be the best chance to give legitimate work to a backup quarterback who could use it.

With all the investments made up front for the Cowboys interior defensive line, there is a clear outlook of where the team is headed at the position. Think about it this way, since Jay Toia joined the team in the 2025 NFL Draft, Dallas has added Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, and Perrion Winfrey at the position group alone.

In his rookie season, Toia has three combined tackles, one QB hit, and five appearances. His last active appearance for the team was in Week 11 against the Las Vegas Raiders. As a seventh-round pick, he may only have the final two games of the regular season to prove his worth to a growingly busy defensive tackle rotation.

After a promising stint in the preseason with 15 carries for 59 yards and a touchdown, Phil Mafah was just on the outside of the Cowboys crowded running back room when Dallas shelved him on Injured Reserve with a shoulder issue. He had suffered a torn labrum in his final season with the Clemson Tigers and possibly carried that over into his time in Dallas.

Mafah is an interesting case because when he was competing for reps in training camp, he was doing so against a full room of prospects who hoped to become the starter. Of course, it was Javonte Williams that emerged as the team’s primary back, while the only other running back that has seen success in 2025 is Malik Davis. Meaning a roster spot for 2026 is very much so on the table for the bigger-bodied tailback.

When the Cowboys traded a 2025 fourth-round pick for Jonathan Mingo, it was right in the middle of their hunt for a sustainable WR2 option. Since then, George Pickens and Ryan Flournoy have stepped into a solid second and third wide receiver role, while Mingo and Jalen Tolbert have struggled to stay on the active roster.

Mingo finished 2024 with five receptions on 16 targets for 46 yards, with the anticipation that he’d get more playing time and run with the first team guys in 2025. Not the case. He’s tallied only one reception on three targets for 25 yards and has been active for just four games. He is currently under contract for next season, but will need to take advantage of his very few opportunities to earn his spot on the roster.

Once a regular in the minds of Cowboys fans everywhere, Jaydon Blue quickly became an afterthought because of the emergence of Javonte Williams and Malik Davis this season. Instead of being a consistent change of pace runner in the Cowboys backfield, Williams has been inactive for all but four games this season. He registered a season-high eight carries for 29 yards in the blowout loss to Denver in Week 8.

Along the same lines as Phil Mafah, he’ll have just as much to prove going into this offseason than he did going into first season in the NFL. Ball security and pass protection were each reported as reasons that Blue was not a consistent presence in the lineup. He’ll have to show improvement in those categories, and use his athletic ability or speed to stand out.

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Dallas, TX

Mavericks vs. Pelicans Final Score: Dallas loses to New Orleans, 119-113

Published

18 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

Mavericks vs. Pelicans Final Score: Dallas loses to New Orleans, 119-113

The Dallas Mavericks lost to the New Orleans Pelicans 119-113 Monday night in New Orleans, the second-straight loss for the Mavericks after falling to Philadelphia on Saturday.

It was also a second-straight clutch loss for Dallas, as the Mavericks once again couldn’t find any answers during the high-leverage possessions during the fourth quarter. Anthony Davis led all scorers with 35 points, while Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 24 points off the bench.

It was a really frantic game from the opening tip, with both teams pushing the paints and attacking the rim. Dallas trailed by double-digits midway through the first quarter, but eventually took a lead in the second quarter and into the locker room thanks to a throwback first-half from Klay Thompson. Thompson scored 20 points in the first half, nailing threes and doing some decent work inside the three point line as well. Davis’ half was a little uneven, even though his numbers were great, but he rebounded and scored the ball well to stabilize the Mavericks after a poor start to the game.

It looked like Dallas was going to blow things open in the third, as the Pelicans went ice cold from three, the Mavericks kept pounding the paint, and Davis continued to look like his All-NBA self. In the fourth quarter, the Mavericks let their own double-digit lead slip away, as the Pelicans finally made some threes, and then Williamson just roasted the Mavericks defense. The Pelicans went to Williamson almost every time down the floor after a three point from Jordan Poole tied the game at 98-98 midway through the quarter. Williamson either scored at the rim or got fouled. Dallas had no answer, whether that was Davis or PJ Washington.

The Mavericks couldn’t match the Pelicans intensity and they lost. A brutal loss to a bad team, one the Mavericks can’t afford if they’re serious about making a play-in run.

Here’s one major thought from the game.

Maybe the Mavericks aren’t that good

For a few weeks now I’ve had a column stewing in our content management system here at Mavs Moneyball. The title was “The Mavericks might be a good team, so what does that mean?” I’ve been wanting to write it for a while now, as the Mavericks steadied their play since the middle of November behind Davis’ return from injury, Ryan Nembhard’s surprising play at point guard, and Cooper Flagg’s continued ascension. It made sense, and even if the Mavericks weren’t truly a good team, they at least proven to be a competitive one that should make the West’s play-in bracket.

It might be time to tap the brakes on that idea, at least for now. Dallas has lost three out of its last four games, with two of them being to Utah and New Orleans, both teams looking toward the lottery than a playoff push. The Mavericks are now 11-19 and two games back of 10th place. While there’s still plenty of time for the Mavericks to make a push, the schedule is only getting harder: the Mavericks play six of their next nine games on the road, with the schedule evening out after the Mavericks were gifted so many home games to start the season. Dallas is dreadful on the road, only 3-9.

Some of that magic from a few weeks ago feels like it’s wearing off. Davis has still been good, but his defensive effort waxes and wanes as he’s relied on to be the team’s primary scorer. Nembhard has cooled off considerably, and the Mavericks are once again mixing and matching point guards every night to try and find a combo coach Jason Kidd likes as Brandon Williams has gone AWOL from the three point line. Flagg is still awesome, but he’s 19. Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington haven’t made sustained impact, with both dealing with some nagging injuries. The Mavericks are still playing hard as hell, but they don’t seem to have something else to rely on. It’s great to play harder than the other team most nights, but you have to be better at more than that to consistently win games. This is the NBA — playing hard should be the bare minimum, not a bonus. Other teams will play hard, like the Pelicans did in the fourth quarter, and once a team matches the Mavericks effort level, they have shockingly little counters past that. Kidd even went back to the double-big lineup in the fourth with Davis and Gafford together, and the Pelicans predictably roasted that grouping. But it feels like Kidd is at times just shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic.

Perhaps the Mavericks will hit another good shooting stretch, or Flagg will level up his game once more. But the Mavericks aren’t guarding well, they aren’t shooting well, and they are running into teams that are playing just as hard as they are. It’s a tough combination, and even if the Mavericks can find a way to regain some of that edge they had before this losing stretch, 11-19 is an awfully big hole to climb out of, especially with Dallas’ schedule being so road heavy to close the season.

Make one thing clear: the Mavericks aren’t tanking. They’re still playing hard. But it’s easier than ever to imagine some veteran trades getting done as we inch closer to February’s deadline.

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