Wedgewood makes 46 saves as Stars edge Oilers

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Roope Hintz had two goals and an assist, Scott Wedgewood made 46 saves and the Dallas Stars beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 Thursday night for their third straight win.

Joe Pavelski had a goal and two assists and Matt Duchene also scored for the Stars, who improved to 7-1-1 on the season.

Sam Gagner scored twice in his return to the lineup and Evander Kane also had a goal struggling Oilers, who have lost five of their last six and dropped to 2-6-1. Stuart Skinner had 23 saves.

Dallas opened the scoring 8:08 into the game right after Edmonton’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins missed a golden opportunity. The Stars went the other way on a 2-on-1 with Duchene opting to shoot and beating Skinner down low for his second of the season.

The Oilers bounced back with 3 minutes left in the first period as Nugent-Hopkins stripped a puck in the Dallas zone and directed it to Kane, who blasted his third of the season past the Wedgewood's glove.

The Stars regained the lead 3:25 into the second on another odd-man rush as Hintz passed across to Pavelski on a 3-on-1 break. He put his fourth of the season into the net before Skinner could get across.

Edmonton had a good chance to pull even again on a power play, but Evan Bouchard hit the post on two occasions.

Dallas made it 3-1 on a power play of their own with 3:54 left in the in the middle period as a pass deflected towards the net and was directed home by Hintz.

Pavelski made a perfect pass to Hintz at the side of the net and he tapped it in for his for his fifth to make it 4-1 at 2:37 of the third.

Edmonton got its second goal of the game midway through the third as Gagner lunged at a loose puck in the blue paint and poked it past an outstretched Wedgewood . It was Gagner’s first game back with the Oilers, rejoining the team for a third time after double hip surgery in the offseason.

Gagner struck again with 6 1/2 minutes to play as he took a pass from Kane and nudged it towards the net to pull Edmonton within one.

The Oilers applied a ton of pressure with their goalie pulled but were unable to get the equalizer.

Oilers forward Connor Brown left the game in the second period with an injury and did not return.

UP NEXT

Stars: At Vancouver on Saturday night to wrap up a three-game trip.

Oiler: Host Nashville on Saturday to finish a four-game homestand.