The Edmonton Oilers are still your reigning Western Conference Champions. With a 6-3 victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final, the Oilers claim their second-straight conference title and have advanced to the Stanley Cup Final. Furthermore, the Oilers will play the same team that beat them last year, the Florida Panthers.
Western Conference Final Review
Oilers Repeat as Western Conference Champions
One trophy down, one to go
#LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/bD08tkZ0TI
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) May 30, 2025
The Oilers defeated the Stars in five games to advance to the next round. After dropping Game 1, the Oilers won four in a row. In addition, the Oilers scored four or more goals in three of their four wins.
The Oilers jumped all over Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger, scoring two goals on their first two shots, resulting in Oettinger being pulled from the game. Corey Perry, Mattias Janmark, and Jeff Skinner scored in the opening nine minutes to take an early 3-0 lead. After the Stars pulled within one, Connor McDavid scored on a breakaway in the second period to restore the multi-goal lead. Evander Kane and Kasperi Kapanen added third-period goals for the Oilers.
Jason Robertson scored twice for the Stars, who only managed 17 shots on goal in the game. Roope Hintz added a power-play goal. For the Stars, this is their third-straight loss in the Western Conference Final.
How the Oilers Won
Stuart Skinner
Can you believe this was the same goaltender who lost his starting job in the first round? Skinner has made the most of his second chance. Skinner was fantastic in this series. The three goals Skinner allowed in Game 5 were the most he gave up in games the Oilers won. Before Game 5, Skinner had only given up two goals from Games 2-4.
To win in the playoffs, your goalie has to be the best player on the ice sometimes. Skinner has been that and more. He helped shut down a Stars offence that can be explosive at times.
Three-Zone Defence
Skinner was not alone in shutting down the Dallas offence. The Oilers game plan defensively limited the Stars scoring chances. Coming into this series, the Stars found their best scoring chances off the rush. If they picked up the puck in the defensive zone, they could use their speed to rush the puck into the offensive zone and create a strong scoring chance. How did the Oilers combat that? They maintained a defensive mindset in the offensive and neutral zone. They had few turnovers and limited the Stars rushes into the offensive zone. When the Stars did enter the offensive zone, the Oiler skaters were not afraid to put their bodies between the shooter and the net.
As the series progressed, it became clear that this defensive strategy was starting to frustrate the Stars. The question now is, can the Oilers use this against the Panthers, who also have an explosive offence?
Insurance Goals
There were no one-goal wins in this series. Even the Stars lone win was by multiple goals. The Oilers did a great job of scoring ensure goals when needed. A great example of this can be found in Game 3. The Oilers were clinging to a 2-1 lead, but the Stars were playing an intense game. McDavid scored a late insurance goal in the second period to give the Oilers some breathing room. The Oilers opened the floodgates in the third period with three goals to win, 6-3.
In Game 5, when the Stars scored and climbed back into the game, the Oilers responded. Just two minutes after Hintz’s power-play goal that made it 3-2, McDavid scored on a breakaway to restore a two-goal lead. In the third period, Robertson pulled the Stars within one again before Kane scored to make it 5-3. Every time the Stars tried to grab back momentum in the series, the Oilers took it right back.
How the Stars Lost
Skaters Went Silent
Heading into the series, Mikko Rantanen was a favourite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. The forward was on a roll with two hat tricks, including a season-saving hat trick in round one. However, Rantanen went silent. He did not score a goal in the series. Wyatt Johnson and captain Jaime Benn were also scoreless in the series. Robertson was the only key player who scored for the Stars, but it was not enough.
Aside from a five-goal outburst in the third period of Game 1, the Stars only scored six goals in the series. The Stars had stars on paper, but many of them went silent on the big stage.
Oettinger
Oettinger is one of the best goalies in the league. When he is in between the pipes, the Stars usually have a great chance to win. However, that was not the case in the Western Conference Final. Through the first five games of the series, Oettinger allowed no less than three goals a game. Furthermore, the only reason he did not allow three in Game 5 was he was pulled after giving up two goals on two shots.
In a series where the Stars needed their goalie to bail them out, Oettinger could not.
Playing From Behind
The Stars never scored the first goal in this series. They were always chasing the Oilers. Furthermore, aside from the third-period comeback, the Stars did not lead in any other game of the series. The Oilers were always finding the first goal and remained ahead. The Stars never got the opportunity to set the pace for the game. They were always chasing their opponent.
Oilers Look to Finish the Story
After losing to Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania 40, Cody Rhodes finished the story by beating Reigns at Wrestlemania 41 the following year. The Oilers will look to do the same when they take on the Panthers once again in the Stanley Cup Final.
This is the first time since 2009 that a Stanley Cup Final is a rematch from the previous year. In 2009, the Pittsburgh Penguins exacted revenge on the Detroit Red Wings for their victory the last season by beating them in seven games. The Oilers hope that history repeats itself in that case. For the Panthers, they aim to become the third repeat champion in the last decade.
Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final will be next Wednesday. Unlike last season, the Oilers will have home-ice advantage in the series.
Main Photo: Jerome Miron- Imagn Images
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