The Edmonton Oilers are through to the Stanley Cup Final after a dominant 6-3 win over the Dallas Stars in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final on Thursday night. They scored three goals in the first 8 minutes and 7 seconds at American Airlines Center and never looked back.
Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist, while Leon Draisaitl and Jake Walman each added two assists. Corey Perry opened the scoring with a power-play goal, followed by goals from Mattias Janmark and Jeff Skinner. It was Skinner’s first career playoff goal.
The Oilers will now face the Florida Panthers in the final, a rematch of last year’s series that Florida won in Game 7. Game 1 is set for Wednesday in Edmonton.
“We’ve been playing solid hockey right through the line up,” said Draisaitl. “It’s taken all of us to get here.”
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch praised his team’s focus. “We weren’t just thinking about being the best in the West. This team wants the ultimate prize,” he said.
Dallas, the second seed in the Central Division, has now been knocked out in the conference final for a third straight year. Jason Robertson scored twice for the Stars, but Edmonton’s early attack proved too much. “You’re not going to win by just outshooting teams,” said Dallas forward Wyatt Johnston. “You have to score, and we didn’t do that enough.”
Stars goalie Jake Oettinger was pulled after allowing two goals on the first two shots. Casey DeSmith came on and made 17 saves. Dallas made it interesting with goals from Robertson and Roope Hintz, but they never managed to level the game.
Evander Kane gave Edmonton breathing room with a sharp finish from a tricky angle, and Kasperi Kapanen wrapped it up with an empty-net goal in the final seconds.
Veteran Corey Perry, now 40, has scored seven goals this postseason. That is the most ever in a single playoff run by a player who began the playoffs at age 39 or older.
“We’ve grown as a group,” said Perry. “There’s been reflection, there’s been learning, and now we’re back.”
Goalie Stuart Skinner made 14 saves and became just the second netminder in NHL history to earn multiple series-clinching wins after starting the postseason with three straight losses.
With McDavid and Draisaitl leading the way and the entire squad stepping up, the Oilers are just four wins away from claiming the Stanley Cup.
Photo: Steph Chambers/Getty Images
