Will face Panthers in rematch; Oettinger pulled early in 1st period for Dallas
Oilers at Stars | Recap | WCF, Game 5
DALLAS — The Edmonton Oilers scored three goals in the first 8:07 and went on to eliminate the Dallas Stars with a 6-3 win in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final at American Airlines Center on Thursday.
“We knew we were going to need everybody,” Edmonton forward Leon Draisaitl said. “Both goalies have given us a chance every night and our depth has been incredible. We’ve been playing good hockey, good solid hockey, throughout the lineup and you need that this time of year.”
The Oilers will face the Florida Panthers in the best-of-7 Stanley Cup Final in a rematch from last season, when Florida won 2-1 in Game 7. Game 1 will be at Edmonton on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SN, TNT, truTV, MAX).
“We should definitely be proud of what we’ve accomplished,” Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch said. “We should feel happy about what has gone on. Our [mindset] hasn’t been just be the best team out of the West. All summer, we weren’t thinking about that. We were thinking about the ultimate prize. This is a mature group, they’re older, they’ve seen a lot of playoff hockey. They know what they need to get it done. I liked how we played throughout the game.”
EDM@DAL, Gm5: McDavid extends Oilers’ lead in 2nd period
Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist, and Draisaitl and Jake Walman each had two assists for Edmonton, which is the No. 3 seed from the Pacific Division. Stuart Skinner made 14 saves.
Jason Robertson scored twice, and Wyatt Johnston and Thomas Harley each had two assists for Dallas, which was the No. 2 seed from the Central Division.
The Stars were eliminated in the conference final for the third straight season. They lost to the Oilers in this round last season in six games.
“I think it’s possible to be two things at the same time,” Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said. “I’m really proud of the resiliency of our group through the first two rounds. We scratched and clawed and found a way to beat two really good teams. And I’m also disappointed that we didn’t find another level, another gear here, another way. Getting back here to this point, how hard it is to get back here. I would say I’m both those things. I think that’s OK, and I think our group needs to go and — coaches, players — and reflect in the summer on what we can do better when we get to this point against the best teams. But there’s no doubt the two best teams are playing for the Cup.”
Jake Oettinger allowed two goals on the first two shots he faced for the Stars before being replaced by Casey DeSmith (17 saves on 20 shots) at 7:09 of the first.
“[Oettinger] didn’t have a chance,” Johnston said. “We weren’t good enough in front of him. Not what you want to do in an elimination game. You need results come playoff time. You’re not going to win games from just [outshooting], outchancing teams. You need to score. Everyone talks about how much tighter it gets come playoff time and how much harder it is to score. It would have been nice, especially for me, to help the boys out and get a couple throughout the series.”
Corey Perry gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead on the power play at 2:31 of the first period, scoring on a tap-in off McDavid’s pass out of the left corner.
“We’re mature,” Perry said. “We’ve learned and we’re learning every game. The way we’re playing, the calmness on the bench, making plays when things are going hairy on the ice. This group, it’s been a want since the end of last year. There’s been a lot of thinking about what happened last year and self-reflecting. Here we are.
“We’re deep, we’re a different team. There are different players in here, a different feel. But you still have to go out and do the right things, and everybody has to continue to pull on that rope.”
EDM@DAL, Gm5: Perry gives Oilers early lead with PPG
Mattias Janmark made it 2-0 on a breakaway at 7:09 when he beat Oettinger through the five-hole.
Jeff Skinner extended the lead to 3-0 at 8:07, scoring through the five-hole after a scramble in front for the first Stanley Cup Playoff goal of his career. He entered the lineup in place of forward Zach Hyman, who is expected to miss the remainder of the postseason with an upper-body injury sustained in Game 4. Jeff Skinner last played in Game 1 of the first round against the Los Angeles Kings on April 21, his first career playoff game.
Robertson cut it to 3-1 at 11:40 on a shot from the inside edge of the left face-off circle after Johnston forced a turnover in the offensive zone.
“I thought we had a lot of opportunities this series to score some goals,” Robertson said of the Stars, who allowed the first goal for the seventh straight game. “Obviously not getting a lead, or the first goal, killed us. I think that was kind of the theme. I thought we were going to be on our toes today, just get the first goal immediately. Couldn’t stop the bleeding the next, whatever, eight minutes. It felt like that the whole series. They’d get the first couple each period, and then you’re chasing and chasing. But we fought back to make it interesting this game.”
EDM@DAL, Gm5: Robertson trims Stars’ deficit in opening period
Roope Hintz brought Dallas to within 3-2 with a power-play goal at 12:27 of the second period, scoring with a one-timer from between the circles.
McDavid then pushed the lead to 4-2 at 14:28 on a breakaway. After Mattias Ekholm blocked Harley’s shot in the left circle, the puck bounced into the neutral zone, where McDavid skated onto it before deking DeSmith and slipping the puck around the goalie’s right pad into the open net.
“That was a golden example of a big player making a big play in a big moment,” Edmonton defenseman Darnell Nurse said. “It’s fun to be in this situation and have the opportunity to go back to where we were last year. As a group we were jelling and believed in ourselves no matter how things we’re going.”
Robertson made it 4-3 at 38 seconds of the third period with his second of the game, scoring from the top of the left face-off circle.
Evander Kane gave Edmonton a 5-3 lead at 3:21. He looked as if he was going for a wraparound attempt as he neared the left post but banked a shot off Dallas defenseman Esa Lindell’s skate from below the goal line.
Kasperi Kapanen scored into an empty net at 19:40 for the 6-3 final.
“We went through a lot of adversity all year,” Dallas captain Jamie Benn said. “We always rose up to the challenge. Didn’t matter who was out. Guys were stepping up. We just didn’t get it done here. It [stinks]. I mean, three years in a row now [losing in the conference final]. You get that close and you come up short. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing. Obviously, not a good feeling.”
NOTES: McDavid got his 100th playoff assist in his 90th playoff game, making him the second-fastest player in NHL history to hit that mark, behind Wayne Gretzky (70 games played). … Jeff Skinner (33 years, 13 days) became the oldest player in Oilers history at the time of his first career playoff goal, surpassing Steve Staios (32 years, 299 days in Game 3 of 2006 conference final). … Stuart Skinner became the second goaltender in NHL history to have multiple series-clinching wins after losing his first three games of that same postseason (Jonathan Quick in 2014 with the Kings). … Perry scored his seventh goal of the playoffs, the most by a player age 39 or older (at the start of the playoffs) in a single postseason. He had been tied with four players: Teemu Selanne (2011 with the Anaheim Ducks), Mark Recchi (2010 with the Boston Bruins), Ron Francis (2002 with the Carolina Hurricanes) and Jean Beliveau (1971 with the Montreal Canadiens). Perry turned 40 on May 16. … Ekholm had an assist and was plus-2 in 15:52 of ice time in his first game of the postseason. The defenseman had been out since April 11 with a lower-body injury. … Dallas forward Mikko Rantanen had an assist and became the third-fastest active player (99 games played) to reach 80 career postseason assists, following McDavid (72 games played) and Draisaitl (86 games played).
FLA vs. EDM
FLA vs. CAR | EDM vs. DAL
FLA vs. TOR | CAR vs. WSH | DAL vs. WPG | EDM vs. VGK
OTT vs. TOR | FLA vs. TBL | MTL vs. WSH | NJD vs. CAR
STL vs. WPG | COL vs. DAL | MIN vs. VGK | EDM vs. LAK
