The Edmonton Oilers are headed back to the Stanley Cup Final for the second consecutive year, dispatching the Dallas Stars with a commanding 6-3 win in Game 5 on Thursday night to clinch the Western Conference crown. Connor McDavid’s breakaway goal sparks pivotal momentum shift as Oilers win Western Conference Final series 4-1.
Connor McDavid, the Oilers’ captain and heartbeat, delivered the moment of the night and perhaps the series: a second-period breakaway goal that stifled a surging Dallas rally and restored control to Edmonton. That goal—his second point of the night after an earlier assist—came after Stars defenseman Thomas Harley’s one-timer was blocked by Mattias Ekholm, playing in his first game of the postseason. The puck caromed beyond center ice, where McDavid tracked it down, outraced Roope Hintz, and beat Dallas goaltender Casey DeSmith with 5:32 left in the second period, pushing the Oilers’ lead to 4-2.
When the final horn sounded, McDavid embraced the moment—and the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl. Unlike a year ago, he had no reservations in touching the trophy, lifting it with pride as Edmonton celebrated their second straight Western Conference title. “We’ve been here before, and this time we know what it takes to finish,” McDavid said after the game.
Edmonton wasted no time asserting dominance. Corey Perry, the 40-year-old veteran seeking his second Stanley Cup ring, opened the scoring on a power play just 2:31 into the game, assisted by McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. It was Perry’s seventh goal of the playoffs—more than any player age 39 or older in a single postseason.
Mattias Janmark made it 2-0 only 7:09 in, prompting Dallas head coach Pete DeBoer to pull starting goalie Jake Oettinger in favor of DeSmith, who hadn’t played since April 26. Jeff Skinner, making his return to the lineup with forwards Zach Hyman and Connor Brown out, scored his first career playoff goal at 8:07 to give the Oilers a 3-0 lead—on just their second shot of the game.
Despite the early hole, Dallas clawed back into the game. Jason Robertson, who scored twice on the night, and Roope Hintz brought the Stars within striking distance. But McDavid’s breakaway goal extinguished the Stars’ momentum, silencing the American Airlines Center crowd.
The third period saw Robertson score early to cut the deficit to 4-3, but Evander Kane quickly answered when his shot deflected off defenseman Esa Lindell and past DeSmith. Kasperi Kapanen sealed the win with an empty-netter in the final seconds.
Edmonton’s supporting cast was critical. Skinner, Kane, Janmark, and Kapanen all found the net. Jeff Skinner, the 33-year-old veteran who has logged over 1,000 regular-season games, made his mark in his playoff return. Defenseman Mattias Ekholm’s return proved crucial, highlighted by the game-changing block that set up McDavid’s goal.
Leon Draisaitl and defenseman Jake Walman each had two assists, and goaltender Stuart Skinner turned aside 14 shots to backstop the win.
The Oilers now look ahead to a rematch with the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, whom they pushed to seven games last June after Florida had taken a 3-0 series lead. Game 1 is set for Wednesday night in Edmonton.
“We’ve grown from last year,” said Perry, who will play in his fifth Final in six seasons. “This time, we know what to expect, and we’re ready.”
As McDavid notched his 100th career playoff assist—becoming the second-fastest in NHL history behind only Wayne Gretzky—the Oilers’ captain made one thing clear: this team is no longer satisfied with just getting to the Final. They want to finish the job.