DALLAS – The Edmonton Oilers suffered a dispiriting loss in Game 1 of the Western Conference final on Wednesday, in which they fell apart in the third period, mostly because of their inability to kill penalties. As bad as that 6-3 defeat was to the Dallas Stars, how much does it really matter?

What stood out the most in a wild first game of the West Conference finals? What matters most for the rest of the series?

An empty net goal from Esa Lindell technically put this into the blowout category by the end, but who’s counting. It’s a 1-0 Stars lead on the road to the Stanley Cup Final, and the Oilers have 48 hours to figure out how they gave up five goals in one period of a game they thought they already had in hand.

The Oilers held a two-goal lead over the Stars going into the third period, but a leaky penalty kill sent them to defeat.

Edmonton Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch calls Game 1 meltdown loss a humbling experience after blowing a 3-1 lead against the Dallas Stars.