The Edmonton Oilers are returning to the Stanley Cup Final for the second consecutive season. They secured their spot by eliminating the Dallas Stars with a 6-3 victory in Game 5, mirroring their Western Conference final series win against Dallas in six games last season.
Edmonton got off to a blistering start, chasing Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger just over seven minutes into the game with quick goals from Corey Perry and Mattias Janmark on the only two shots Oettinger faced. The Oilers finished the first period with a comfortable 3-1 lead. Throughout the rest of the contest, the Oilers` offense consistently responded to every Dallas goal, effectively killing the Stars` momentum. Furthermore, Edmonton`s defense once again proved stifling in the third period, shutting down their opponent.
Now, the Oilers are set for a rematch against the Florida Panthers. Last season, the Panthers defeated Edmonton in the Final, though the Oilers managed to push that series to seven games after falling behind three games to none before ultimately coming up short of lifting the Cup.
In the expansion era (since 1967-68), there have been four instances of the same two teams facing off in the Stanley Cup Final in back-to-back seasons. The most recent occurrence was in 2008 and 2009 when the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first year, followed by the Penguins beating Detroit the next season, which marked Sidney Crosby`s first Stanley Cup win.
The last team to win the Stanley Cup against the same opponent in consecutive seasons was the Montreal Canadiens, who beat the Boston Bruins in both 1977 and 1978.
Achieving victory against this version of the Oilers will demand a superior effort from Florida. Edmonton has significantly improved since last season, demonstrating enhanced defensive discipline and greater playoff confidence.
Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski provide a look back at Game 5 and consider what lies ahead for both franchises.
Edmonton Oilers
Grade: B+
The Oilers wasted no time getting down to business in Game 5, scoring on their very first shot when Perry notched a power-play goal less than three minutes into the game. Mattias Janmark capitalized on a sluggish line change by the Stars to double the Oilers` lead before the halfway point of the first period. Jeff Skinner then scored his first career playoff goal on the newly inserted Casey DeSmith. It was a wild start.
Despite Zach Hyman`s absence from the lineup, the Oilers barely seemed affected, thanks to their impressive depth stepping up early.
However, the Stars didn`t go down quietly. A turnover by Brett Kulak led to a Jason Robertson goal, cutting the Oilers` lead to 3-1. Edmonton`s penalty kill was tested in the second period. While they successfully killed Kulak`s hooking minor, they couldn`t do it again after Mattias Ekholm took another penalty, allowing Roope Hintz to bring Dallas within one goal.
From that point on, the game became a call-and-response for the Oilers. Connor McDavid capitalized on a breakaway chance just over two minutes after Hintz`s goal. When Robertson scored his second of the game just 38 seconds into the third period to make it 4-3, Evander Kane quickly restored the Oilers` two-goal cushion just over two minutes later by banking a puck off Esa Lindell.
The Oilers may not have played their absolute best game of the series, but their ability to recover from every misstep demonstrated why they have been such a formidable force since their Game 1 loss. Dallas`s surge of power-play goals in that opening game seemed to ignite a switch in Edmonton, and they simply refused to be denied. — Shilton
Dallas Stars
Grade: C-
The start of the game for Dallas was an `F`. They failed to score first in any game of this series, which would have allowed them to breathe a little and give Edmonton something to worry about. Instead, rookie Mavrik Bourque, back in the lineup for the first time since Game 4 against Colorado, took a high-sticking penalty just 1:47 into the game, and Corey Perry converted on the power play.
Five minutes later, with his entire team seemingly asleep in front of him, Jake Oettinger was beaten by Mattias Janmark on a partial break. Suddenly, the franchise goaltender`s night was over, pulled after just 7:09 having allowed two goals on two shots. This was a desperate Hail Mary move by head coach Pete DeBoer, who then watched the Oilers swarm backup Casey DeSmith until Jeff Skinner scored his first playoff goal in his second career playoff game (after 1,078 regular-season games) to put Dallas in a 3-0 hole.
Regardless of what happened afterward, this terrible start was the original sin for Dallas in Game 5 and essentially the story of the series: The Stars would eventually generate something positive in their attempts to climb out of their own grave, only to frequently surrender momentum immediately. Hintz narrowed the lead to 3-2… McDavid scored 2:01 later. Robertson, who was brilliant again, scored his second goal to make it 4-3… Kane banked a puck off Esa Lindell less than three minutes later to re-establish a two-goal advantage.
The Stars overcame significant obstacles to reach the Western Conference Final for a third consecutive season. They eliminated the Avalanche in seven games despite missing both Robertson and Miro Heiskanen. They also bounced the Presidents` Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets in six games.
A favorable interpretation of their demise is that the Stars played well enough to win more than just one game, but a combination of bad puck luck against a championship-caliber Edmonton defensive effort and strong goaltending from Stuart Skinner was their downfall. (And the Oilers have truly become an incredible third-period team.) A more critical reading of their elimination is that Dallas`s star players did not shine with the same intensity as Edmonton`s, their supporting cast was outplayed, and Oettinger was outdueled by Skinner before being pulled from the series.
Either perspective leads to the same conclusion: falling one round short of competing for the Stanley Cup for the third straight year under DeBoer, despite arguably having the best collection of talent during these three postseason runs. How the franchise reacts to this will be fascinating to observe. — Wyshynski
Three Stars of Game 5
1. The `Hope Killer` Oilers
Edmonton started Game 5 explosively, building a 3-0 lead in the first period. Then, as Dallas closed the gap to one goal, Connor McDavid created a breakaway by simply outskating his defender and scored. After Jason Robertson made it 4-3, Evander Kane banked a puck off Esa Lindell to effectively stiff-arm the Stars` comeback attempt. Whenever Dallas found a spark of hope, Edmonton discovered a way to extinguish it.
2. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl
C, Oilers
Both players recorded two points in the series-clinching Game 5 victory. With this performance, both now have three postseasons with 25 or more points, tying them for the fourth most in NHL history. Only Mark Messier (6), Wayne Gretzky (6), and Jari Kurri (5) have more.
3. Jeff Skinner
F, Oilers
Game 5 marked Skinner`s second career playoff game, having been inserted into the lineup due to Zach Hyman`s injury. He is the only NHL player to appear in over 1,000 regular-season games before making his postseason debut. He scored his first career playoff goal in the first period to extend the lead to 3-0. What a memorable moment! — Arda Öcal
Big Questions
How will Zach Hyman`s absence impact Edmonton in a Cup Final against Florida?
The Panthers are known for their physical style of play. Zach Hyman was not only the postseason leader in hits (with 111 in 15 games) but also one of Edmonton`s most effective forwards, often playing alongside McDavid and contributing significantly to both special teams units.
Make no mistake, the Oilers` relatively smooth sailing without him in Game 5 against Dallas does not diminish the void Hyman will leave when they face the Panthers. Hyman recorded two goals and four points in the Cup Final last year and was even more productive in these playoffs.
Kris Knoblauch inserted Jeff Skinner for Game 5, and that worked well enough for that specific game. But will Skinner remain the best option for Edmonton heading into Game 1 against Florida? Especially considering the Panthers are a different kind of challenge than the Stars?
The Cup Final is a series where Hyman`s specific skillset would have been invaluable. But he won`t be available, and how the Oilers adapt to his absence will be crucial to determining if they achieve a different outcome than they did 12 months ago. — Shilton
Is this the end for Pete DeBoer in Dallas?
When Pete DeBoer was hired in 2022 to replace Rick Bowness, he reportedly signed a four-year contract. In his first three seasons in Dallas, he has coached the Stars to three consecutive Western Conference Final appearances.
DeBoer`s coaching career has often been marked by an inability to get his teams over the final hurdle. He previously coached the New Jersey Devils (2012) and San Jose Sharks (2016) to the Stanley Cup Final but did not win the championship with either team. Since the 2018-19 season, DeBoer has lost in the Western Conference Final six times in eight years with different teams.
Again, it`s difficult to dispute the success he`s had in the regular season (.665 points percentage, his best with any of his five teams) or the achievement of reaching three straight conference finals. However, the team has fallen short of the ultimate goal each time.
This time, he couldn`t find a way to elevate the Stars in the conference final. His decision to pull Oettinger in the first period of Game 5 will likely be a subject of ongoing debate.
The ultimate question facing GM Jim Nill is this: Is there another coach who could potentially extract more from this Dallas roster, or does the team continue with DeBoer and make adjustments primarily through roster changes? — Wyshynski
