After falling at home in Game 5, the Dallas Stars now face a must-win situation on the road. The Western Conference Final could end in Edmonton, mirroring the Eastern side where the Florida Panthers are on the verge of closing out the New York Rangers. The Edmonton Oilers, after a lopsided loss in Game 3, have rebounded with two crucial wins. Their depth scoring has finally awakened — even veteran Corey Perry recorded an assist. Some view Perry’s presence as an omen, given his history of reaching the playoffs with four different teams without winning the Stanley Cup.
Both teams understood Game 5 was pivotal, with a 3-2 series lead on the line. Dallas had concerns over defenseman Chris Tanev’s availability, but he skated in warmups and played. The game started cautiously, with neither side willing to take risks, though scoring chances appeared at both ends. Dallas, wary of Edmonton’s dangerous power play, remained disciplined — they took only one penalty in Game 5. However, that lone penalty proved costly. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins converted on the man advantage, assisted by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Early in the second period, Miro Heiskanen was sent off, and Nugent-Hopkins struck again just 16 seconds later, his second power-play goal of the night.
Down 2-0, Dallas had rallied from multiple-goal deficits three times in this series, but never from 3-0. Four minutes later, defenseman Philip Broberg fired a shot from the blue line that hit the post and went in — his first career playoff goal. With 35 minutes left in regulation, the Stars pressed? Not exactly. Matt Duchene drew a penalty, but Edmonton killed it off. In the third period, Dallas generated several quality chances, but Stuart Skinner stood tall, allowing only a deflection goal by Wyatt Johnston. That was all the Stars could muster.
The series now shifts to Edmonton for Game 6. Bookmaker odds for the match:
– Edmonton Oilers win: from 2.17 (BetBoom) to 2.23 (Betsiti, Olimpbet)
– Dallas Stars win: from 2.84 (Liga Stavok) to 2.90 (Betsiti, Pari)