Stanley Cup Rematch Set as Oilers Eliminate Stars: 6 Takeaways

The Edmonton Oilers are headed back to the Stanley Cup Final after a commanding 6-3 win over the Dallas Stars on Thursday night. As storm clouds rolled into Edmonton and forced fans at the outdoor watch party to seek cover, Connor McDavid and the Oilers brought a storm of their own — one the Stars couldn’t weather. With the win, Edmonton clinched the Western Conference Final in six games.

It marks the Oilers’ second consecutive conference championship and sets up a rematch with the Florida Panthers — the same team that denied Edmonton the Cup in seven games last year.

Back-to-Back Western Conference Champions

The Oilers made franchise history by advancing to the Final in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the dynasty era of the 1980s. Just as the Oilers fell to the Islanders in 1983 before winning it all in ’84, the team now gets another shot at redemption against the Panthers.

This will be a motivated group facing an arguably stronger Panthers team than last season. But, as many fans pointed out, fate and franchise history feel like they’re on the side of the Oilers. There was a sense of calm with the Oilers as they “celebrated” their Western Conference Final win. McDavid said they were less emotional, which comes with being here before.

Connor McDavid Leading the Way

With Zach Hyman sidelined for the rest of the playoffs due to injury, the rest of the team was tasked to step it up, and they did. Led by Connor McDavid, who elevated his game once again and scored the dagger breakaway goal, McDavid was not going to be denied.

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The Oilers captain is now the betting favorite for the Conn Smythe Trophy at -110, per ESPN BET. He won it last season, but the Oilers didn’t win the Cup. He’ll clearly trade in the individual award for a team win. McDavid noted that this was a special team. Don’t expect him to let this group go down 3-0 in their Final as they did last year.

Some fans are making a big to-do about McDavid touching the Clarence Campbell Bowl, but he alluded to the fact he didn’t touch it last season and the Oilers lost. He figured he would try something else. It’s notable that in the Dynasty Years, the Oilers rarely hisitated to touch the trophy and bring it back to the locker room.

Jeff Skinner Scores His First Playoff Goal

Jeff Skinner scored his first career playoff goal in Game 6, a feel-good moment for the veteran winger and a crucial addition to Edmonton’s offensive depth. He was in the lineup with Hyman and Connor Brown out, and he did exactly what the Oilers needed him to – be reliable at both ends of the ice and contribute offensively.

After over 1,000 NHL games, it was heartbreaking to see him only play one game before Thursday. He remained ready, and his goal highlighted the next-man-up mentality that has fueled the Oilers.

Kris Knoblauch’s Coaching Record

Head coach Kris Knoblauch continues to impress. With the Game 6 win, he became the first coach since Scotty Bowman in 1970 to lead a team to the Stanley Cup Final in each of his first two seasons. He has more wins than any coach in his first two seasons and Edmonton is now 18-2 in Games 4 through 7 under Knoblauch.

He remains calm, finds the right mix of players and forwards when the lineup has to change, and makes timely in-series adjustments have set the tone for his team.

DeBoer’s Goaltending Decision Backfires

Dallas coach Pete DeBoer made a controversial decision to pull starting goaltender Jake Oettinger just minutes into the game after allowing two goals on two shots. “It was partly to spark our team and partly knowing the status quo had not been working,” DeBoer said postgame.

It felt like the coach was pointing the finger at the wrong person. Mark Lazerus of The Athletic quoted DeBoer after the game:

“I didn’t blame it all on Jake, but the reality is if you go back to last year’s playoffs, he’s lost six of seven games to Edmonton. And we give up two goals on two shots in an elimination game. … That’s a pretty big sample size.”

Is this the beginning of a rocky relationship between goalie and coach? Or, is this a fluky issue and Oettinger’s tough track record against Edmonton — now 1-6 in his last seven playoff starts — is something that they’ll try to improve on. Captain Jamie Benn admitted the team “let Jakey out to dry.”

Panthers-Oilers Stanley Cup Final Rematch Set

The 2025 Stanley Cup Final is officially a rematch of last year’s thriller. DeBoer said these are the two best teams in the NHL, which makes it not surprising either is back. Emotions will be high, with motivation for the Panthers to repeat, but a feeling by the Oilers they can’t let another opportunity slip by.

Last year, Matthew Tkachuk told McDavid, “See you next year.” After the heartbkreaing Game 7 loss, Zach Hyman, who promised a return to the Final, was proven right by his teammates. Now, they’ll look to finish the job — for Hyman (who won’t be available) and to finally win the league’s biggest prize.

The stage is set. The Oilers are back — deeper, hungrier, and on the verge of completing their revenge tour.

Next: Skinner and Ekholm vs. Hyman and Stecher: Upgrade for Oilers?