Connor McDavid led the Edmonton Oilers to a triumphant 6-3 win over the Dallas Stars in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final, propelling them to their second consecutive Stanley Cup Final. McDavid’s breakaway goal late in the second period swung the game’s momentum, and he also contributed an earlier assist.
Veteran Corey Perry, at age 40, added to the scoresheet as well, continuing a remarkable postseason run. When McDavid accepted the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl, he broke tradition by touching the trophy — a symbolic gesture he avoided the previous year, which he joked about afterward.
Oilers’ Explosive Start and McDavid’s Magic Crush Stars’ Hopes Once Again
The Oilers came out firing, scoring on their first two shots and jumping to a 3-0 lead within the first 8:07 of the game. Goals by Mattias Janmark, Jeff Skinner, and Perry set the tone early and forced Dallas into a constant chase.
The Stars never fully recovered from the early deficit, marking the second straight year Edmonton eliminated them at this stage. The quick start also led to a goaltending change, with Dallas pulling starter Jake Oettinger for Casey DeSmith just over seven minutes into the game.
McDavid Sends Oilers Back to Stanley Cup Final as Fast Start Sinks Stars AgainDallas closed the gap to within a goal multiple times, but McDavid’s dazzling breakaway goal with 5:32 left in the second period proved decisive. It came after a blocked shot by Mattias Ekholm and a long rebound that McDavid picked up, outracing Roope Hintz and beating DeSmith. “That’s a Connor McDavid kind of play,” said Perry, praising his captain’s skill and timing. Edmonton’s depth also shone as Evander Kane and Kasperi Kapanen added insurance goals in the third, with the latter scoring into an empty net to seal the win.
Stars Fall Short Again as Oilers Set Stage for Historic Stanley Cup Rematch
Jason Robertson scored twice for Dallas, and Hintz added another goal, but the Stars once again fell short in the conference final for the third consecutive year. Head coach Pete DeBoer lamented their inability to control the pace early in games, noting how the team “chased every single game in this series.”
Despite some key plays and a fight to the end, Dallas couldn’t contain McDavid and the high-powered Oilers offense. Goaltender DeSmith, in his first game since April, stopped 17 of 20 shots in relief of Oettinger.
The Oilers now head into a high-stakes rematch with the Florida Panthers, who defeated them in a dramatic seven-game series last year. Game 1 is set for Wednesday in Edmonton. This marks only the 12th time in NHL history that the Stanley Cup Final features a rematch from the previous year, and the first since 2009.
The odds are even heading into the series, with both teams listed at -110. McDavid, now the second-fastest player in NHL history to record 100 playoff assists behind Wayne Gretzky, will look to lead Edmonton to their first Stanley Cup title since 1990.
