In a dominating 6-3 win Tuesday night, Edmonton crushed Dallas's dreams and locked up their place in the Stanley Cup Final.
Edmonton's early attack chased Stars goalie Jake Oettinger after just two shots, as Mattias Janmark and Corey Petty scored back-to-back goals. Their fast start left Dallas stunned.
The victory sets up a rare Finals rematch against Florida, who beat Edmonton in seven games last season. This matchup is just the fifth time since the 1967 NHL expansion that teams have faced each other in consecutive Finals.
Stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl showed their brilliance - McDavid scored once and added an assist while Draisaitl picked up two assists. Despite their efforts, Dallas couldn't close the gap to less than two goals.
When it counted, Edmonton's defense locked things down to stop any Stars rally. Since coach Kris Knoblauch took over mid-season in 2024, the Oilers have made it to back-to-back Finals.
The last time two teams met in consecutive Finals was Detroit versus Pittsburgh in 2008-09. Now the Panthers and Oilers join that select group.
Despite having five titles, Edmonton hasn't won the cup since 1990. Their 34-year championship drought is now their longest ever.
In last year's series, Florida jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Edmonton forced a Game 7. The Panthers went on to win, earning their first Stanley Cup.
Game 1 starts Saturday in Florida, where the Eastern Conference champion Panthers have home-ice advantage.
