Oilers’ struggles despite efforts from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl (Image via: Getty Images) The Edmonton Oilers once again let a promising performance slip away, losing 4-3 to the Dallas Stars in a shootout on Tuesday night. Despite holding a two-goal lead in the third period, Edmonton couldn’t close out the game, marking their second straight defeat after falling 3-2 to the St. Louis Blues the previous day. The back-to-back losses capped a winless road trip that exposed familiar issues—late-game lapses and lack of depth scoring.Vasily Podkolzin and Leon Draisaitl powered the Oilers to a strong first-period start, while captain Connor McDavid added another in the third to restore a two-goal cushion. Yet, the Stars responded quickly as Mikko Rantanen scored twice, followed by Miro Heiskanen’s equalizer that forced overtime. Dallas clinched the extra point in the shootout courtesy of Wyatt Johnston, extending their points streak to seven games. For the Oilers, it was another frustrating night defined by inconsistency rather than effort.
Kris Knoblauch calls for depth support behind Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl
Head coach Kris Knoblauch acknowledged the team’s repeated inability to protect leads, emphasizing that the breakdowns were largely self-inflicted. “Leon and Connor were two of our better players,” Knoblauch said postgame. “We just need to get more out of everyone.” Edmonton has now dropped five potential points this season in games where it held multi-goal advantages, sitting at a 2-1-3 record in such matchups.
NHL Highlights | Oilers vs. Stars – November 4, 2025
Connor McDavid continues to lead the NHL scoring race with 21 points in 15 games, while Draisaitl follows closely with 17. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ranks third for the team with 16 points, but the production drops sharply beyond the top line—defenseman Evan Bouchard is the next best with just 10. The Oilers’ star trio continues to deliver, but without greater contribution from the supporting cast, Edmonton risks falling behind early in the Western Conference race.If the Edmonton Oilers hope to contend seriously this season, they must find a way to protect their leads and ease the pressure off their marquee players. As Knoblauch’s comments suggest, the stars are doing their part; it’s the rest of the lineup that needs to rise to the occasion.More coverage on NHL:“But ever since that Jeffrey Dahmer show”: Maple Leafs’ William Nylander jokes while trying sunglasses in new YouTube vlog“Proud of the way we fought back”: Auston Matthews on leading Toronto Maple Leafs’ four-goal comeback win over Pittsburgh PenguinsMikko Rantanen nears 300 goals: Dallas Star to join Connor McDavid as second player from 2015 Draft class to reach milestone“Doesn’t make a lot of sense”: Leon Draisaitl calls out referees over Mika Zibanejad’s controversial penalty in Oilers’ OT loss