The matchup for the Stanley Cup Final is officially set. The Edmonton Oilers secured their spot by defeating the Dallas Stars 5-3 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final. Edmonton started strong and successfully held off the Stars to clinch the series.
Capitalizing on the chance to eliminate the Stars, captain Connor McDavid delivered a standout performance for the Oilers. He contributed an assist on the game`s opening goal and later scored the crucial game-winning goal in the second period.
After Dallas had narrowed the score to one goal, a blocked shot bounced into the neutral zone. McDavid raced ahead of Roope Hintz on a breakaway and executed a flawless deke to put the Oilers back up by two goals at one point.
Dallas scored again early in the third period thanks to Jason Robertson`s second goal of the game. However, the Oilers quickly responded when Evander Kane banked a shot off the skate of Dallas defenseman Esa Lindell.
From that point forward, the Oilers managed to contain the Stars` offense effectively, mirroring their strong defensive play in earlier games. Despite their offensive talent, Dallas struggled to create scoring opportunities with their season on the line, recording only four shots on Stuart Skinner in the final period.
The Oilers` fast start included Corey Perry scoring an early power play goal, set up by a great pass from McDavid. Less than five minutes later, Mattias Janmark took advantage of a poor line change by the Stars to score through the legs of goaltender Jake Oettinger.
In a surprising decision by Stars coach Peter DeBoer, Oettinger was replaced by backup Casey DeSmith. Moments after entering the game, DeSmith allowed a low shot from veteran Jeff Skinner to get past him. It was the 33-year-old Skinner`s first playoff goal in his 15th NHL season.
While it`s uncertain how the game might have unfolded differently had Oettinger remained, the Stars potentially faced a greater challenge being down by two goals during crunch time after the change.
The Oilers will now advance to face the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final, setting up an anticipated rematch. This series presents Edmonton with the opportunity to end a 32-year Stanley Cup drought for Canadian teams.
Western Conference Final Results:
- Game 1: Stars 6, Oilers 3
- Game 2: Oilers 3, Stars 0
- Game 3: Oilers 6, Stars 1
- Game 4: Oilers 4, Stars 1
- Game 5: Oilers 5, Stars 3
