Edmonton Oilers’ 3 stars in the Western Conference Finals – Hockey Writer –

The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Dallas Stars 6-3 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, secured their place in the Stanley Cup final and established a highly anticipated game with the Florida Panthers. But, before we get there, let’s reflect on the series with the stars.

The entire team strengthened and made significant contributions. They lost Connor Brown and Zach Hyman to injury, who ruled out this season. Heyman is a huge loss, but this team is profound and has the next person mindset. These injuries allowed Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner to return to the roster, with both players performing well in Game 5. With the team’s outstanding performance, choosing some outstanding players is challenging. But these are three stars in the Western Conference Finals, including some honorary awards.

Honorary mention

It’s hard to pick three players, so I want to start with some honorary awards. These three players have been a key piece during Edmonton’s playoff run, especially against Dallas, deserve recognition.

Cory Perry

First, there is an eternal miracle, Corey Perry. Perry was still contributing at the elite level at the age of 40, which is impressive because he was in numerous health times in the playoffs last season. His speed has faded, but he still has elite hands, especially tight. He replaced Heyman in the top power play division even before he was unfortunately injured at the end of the season. The veteran winger tied for Leon Draisaitl for the team’s playoff goal lead, including two in the series. His two goals were in Games 4 and 5, and it was the power of the blue paint to play. Now, he will play in the fifth Stanley Cup final in six seasons. It’s an impressive feat.

Jake Walman

Next, it was Jake Walman. He is exactly what Edmonton needs in the backend, and general manager Stan Bowman deserves credit. This addition greatly changed the color of the Blue Line, which he fits like a glove. He led the team by 43 and ranked second with 11, with 15 blocks against Dallas. Most importantly, he has 4 points against the stars, including two in the series. Blueliner is an excellent hockey puck that is advertised exactly.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Finally, Ryan Nugent Hopkins performed very well quietly. The long-time Oilers scored nine points, including four more games and a three-pointer against the stars. However, he was excluded from the scoring table in Game 5 or he would have made three stars.

Third Star: Leon Draisaitl

When the game is most important, the Oilers star players will continue to produce. Draisaitl scored nine points in the Western Conference Finals, which included scores per game, three games and three-point performance. He continues to serve and has been the Oilers’ best player of the season, so it’s no surprise. If the Oilers win the Cup, the German superstar will be a focus and must continue to produce at this level. He was quiet in the Cup final last season, but this time it wasn’t. If Edmonton trains Lord Stanley, Draisaitl will also be Edmonton’s three stars.

Second Star: Stuart Skinner

Thanks to three powerful goals, Stuart Skinner’s match 1 based on box score. In the third phase of Game 5, he also made the infamous Five Holes notorious. But beyond that, he performed well in Game 2-4. He had a 25-shot closing ceremony in Game 2, 33 steals in Game 4, and then stopped 28 games in Game 4. He stopped 86 of 88 in Game 2-4, earning an excellent .977 savings percentage (SV%). The Edmonton native finished the series with a 0.924 SV%, seriously surpassing Jake Oettinger on the other end.

Related: 2025 Stanley Cup Final Center

The oil man’s network agent looks calm and is composed in the net. Except for Game 1, when things were unraveled, he was mostly in control. He allowed a weak target to allow a star within one in Game 5, but he didn’t let that upgrade. He surrendered, and the team showed a s-foot defense in front of him for the rest of the game. The 26-year-old scored a huge toe saving moment after scoring the goal to give Edmonton the lead. He made many wonderful savings throughout the series, which frustrated Dallas. In the first phase of Game 3, the Oilers completely beat the Oil, but Skinner was there to save them and gave them a chance to find their foothold. He went big and they needed more of the same to reach the Stanley Cup final.

First Star: Connor McDavid

What else do you need to say? Connor McDavid is the first star in most games, and this series is no exception. It’s a boring choice, but he’s the best player on the ice. Like Nugent-Hopkins and Draisaitl, he also scored nine points in this five-game series, including three goals and four multi-point performances.

The big players are strengthening at important moments, and that’s what Captain Oilers does. Dallas had 12 minutes left in the second phase of Game 5 to cut the Oilers, which brought the crowd to the ground. Two minutes later, McDavid got out of the situation and took a fantastic move to slide the puck past the stars of the Internet, which once again silenced the crowd. Dallas had all the momentum at that time, but No. 97 took it back. McDavid wants the Stanley Cup and his game is like this.

He will receive the ultimate hockey award and take revenge when the Oilers fight against the Panthers in the Stanley Cup final for the second straight season. Game 1 is Wednesday, June 4 in Edmonton.