Edmonton Oilers to Make Crucial Adjustment Against Dallas Stars Ahead of Game 2

Cliches exist for a reason, because they're often true. You'll hear them all the time in hockey interviews, especially from Edmonton Oilers players: "I know it's a cliche, but."

And while they can be a fallback when someone doesn't know what to say, some cliches still hold valuable insight.

One, in particular, could give the Oilers a real edge against the Dallas Stars. Players were heard saying, "We just gotta get pucks in deep," after their crushing Game 1 loss. Let's hope this cliche holds value and works for them in Game 2.

This is an old adage that actually contains a winning recipe for the Oilers. It works to their strengths, for one. Edmonton does have some good forecheckers in Zach Hyman, Evander Kane, Vasily Podkolzin, Connor Brown, and Trent Frederic.

Dumping it deep allows them to pressure defenders, win battles, and establish prolonged offensive zone time for their skill forwards to work.

Second, the Stars are leaning on four defensemen hard. In Game 1, Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley each logged over 24 minutes, with Lian Bichsel and Ilya Lyubushkin receiving sparse ice.

By forcing these top defenders to chase the puck and absorb hits, the Oilers can wear them down over the course of the game and the series.

This approach reduces the risks of turnovers and potential odd-man rushes, allowing the Oilers to control the tempo and physicality of the contest. A cliche, perhaps, but one that may be the difference in Game 2 and beyond.