DALLAS (AP) – Despite numerous name changes for the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers, both teams remain fundamentally the same in the Western Conference Finals for a second consecutive year.
Coach Pete DeBoer continues to lead the charge, while Kris Knoblauch maintains his role, resulting in minimal structural changes for both teams. Edmonton boasts 100-point stars Conor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, while Dallas relies on a youthful core of scorers, including Roope Hintz, Wyatt Johnston, Jason Robertson, alongside veterans Tyler Seguin and Captain Jamie Benn.
“There are certainly a few different players in this series, but in many aspects, it’s quite similar,” McDavid remarked on Tuesday. “The same coaches, the same systems… We haven’t altered much, and neither have they.”
As the series kicks off Wednesday night, 26-year-old goalkeeper Jake Oettinger will be in net for the Stars, while Stuart Skinner continues for the Oilers, marking their third straight appearance in the Western Finals, following a loss in their initial outing.
“There are many commonalities,” Draisaitl commented. “They understand our game plan, just as we understand theirs.”
However, both the Stars and Oilers have seen seven players from last year’s series – which Edmonton won in six games – no longer part of their rosters.
The most significant change is the mid-season acquisition of Mikko Rantanen and Michael Granlund, who now form the top line with fellow Finnish player Hintz.
Rantanen currently leads all scorers in these NHL playoffs with 19 points (9 goals, 10 assists), closely followed by McDavid with 17 points (3 goals, 14 assists) and Draisaitl with 16 (5 goals, 11 assists). The Oilers have reached their third Western Final in four seasons after a seven-game loss to Florida in last year’s Stanley Cup.
“They possess a formidable two-headed monster, but the depth is there with (Trent) Frederic, (Corey) Perry, everyone they’ve brought in… They’re really number one in terms of odd-man rushes, but now they’re focusing on getting to the net and creating traffic. Their style is comprehensive rather than just run-and-gun. From my standpoint, I need to be ready for anything.”
Cody Ceci, who joined the Oilers in a midseason trade from San Jose, has spent the past three seasons with the team. Veteran defenseman John Klingberg has played ten playoff games after just eleven regular-season games, marking his fourth team since starting his NHL career with the Stars from 2015-22.
Playoff Scoring
Joining McDavid, Draisaitl, and Rantanen in this series are three of the top scorers in NHL playoff history.
McDavid ranks third all-time with an average of 1.58 points per game (40 goals and 94 assists in 85 games), while Draisaitl sits fifth with 1.46 (46 goals and 78 assists in 85 games). Rantanen is seventh in his first postseason against Dallas after facing Colorado in the past seven times, with 1.28 (43 goals and 77 assists in 120 games).
The record is held by Wayne Gretzky, who averaged 1.84 points in 208 playoff games. He won four Stanley Cups in the 1980s over five seasons with the Oilers and visited the Stars’ locker room this past weekend following their second-round victory.
Between the Pipes
Oettinger is entering his fourth straight postseason, having won six playoff series. Now, he seeks a shot at the Stanley Cup.
“It feels like he’s really honing in. It seems like he’s on a mission here,” DeBoer commented. “I don’t think he’s too far off from breaking through again this year; he’ll do everything in his power to help us get there.”
Oettinger boasts a save percentage of .919 and a goals-against average of 2.47.
Skinner, the Oilers’ regular-season starter, was replaced after trailing 2-0 in the first round. He delivered six consecutive wins before sustaining a left leg injury in Game 2 against Vegas during the second round. Following a loss in Game 3, Skinner recorded back-to-back shutouts, including a series-clinching 1-0 overtime win in Game 5.
Special Teams
Last year, Dallas went 14/14 on power plays during the Western Finals. The Oilers contributed two short-handed goals to the series and secured two power-play goals in Game 6.
The Stars rank third in playoff special teams, with a power play success rate of 30.8% and a penalty kill rate of 86.1%. Their power play is the most efficient among teams that have played multiple rounds, with the only exception being the Eastern Conference finalists, Carolina and Florida.
Edmonton’s power play success rate stands at 25% and their penalty kill rate at 66.7% this postseason.
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AP NHL Playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Source: apnews.com