The Edmonton Oilers are heading to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in almost two decades.
The Oilers concluded their Western Conference finals series against the Dallas Stars with a 2-1 victory at Rogers Place in Alberta on Sunday night. That gave them the 4-2 series victory and secured a trip to the championship series for the first time since 2006.
The Oilers haven’t won the title since 1990, when they won their fifth in seven years. If the Oilers can win another title, they will be the first Canadian team to win the championship since 1993.
“Honestly, it feels like a dream,” Oilers star Connor McDavid said after the win on Sportsnet. “It was a crazy night. Not our best effort, but we kept at it. We found a way to win… We just kept at it. It wasn’t pretty, but we got it done.”
McDavid – who will play in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in his career – immediately got the Oilers on the board. On an early power play, McDavid found the back of the net on a pass from Leon Draisaitl less than five minutes into the opening period.
That marked his 30th point in the playoffs this spring, making him the sixth player in NHL history to post multiple 30-point playoff years.
Late in the period, McDavid found Zach Hyman to extend the lead.
Mason Marchment put the Stars on the board midway through the third period, and Dallas outscored the Oilers 11-2 to open the final period. That push came too late. The Oilers held on down the stretch to take the one-goal win and secure their trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
After sweeping their opening-round series against the Los Angeles Kings, the Oilers needed all seven games to reach the conference finals following a thrilling series with the Vancouver Canucks. They then made the jump to the Stars with a huge 3-2 double overtime victory in Game 1 of the series. After dropping two straight games, the Oilers won three in a row to close out the finals and reach the finals.
The Stars, on the other hand, fell short again. After losing in the Stanley Cup Final in 2020, Dallas reached the conference finals for the second year in a row this season under head coach Peter DeBoer. The Stars, despite earning the top seed in the playoffs, were eliminated early for the second year in a row.
Oilers take on Panthers in Stanley Cup Final
With the win, the Oilers set up a series against the Florida Panthers.
The Panthers concluded their battle against the New York Rangers on Saturday night with a 2-1 victory in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference finals series. The Panthers are now in the Stanley Cup Final for the second year in a row and for the third time in team history. Last season they fell to the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
The Panthers improved by 10 wins and 18 points this season, winning the Atlantic Division title before the postseason began. They then shut down the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games in the opening round before defeating both the Boston Bruins and Rangers to secure a spot in the finals.
Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final is scheduled for Saturday evening in South Florida.
