The Edmonton Oilers advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006 by edging the Dallas Stars 2-1 in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final, a contest they were outshot 35-10. Thanks to two early power-play goals from Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman, the Oilers held off a fierce Stars attack in the late stages of the contest to celebrate their Western Conference championship in front of their fans at Rogers Place.
After eliminating the top team in the Western Conference, Edmonton will now travel to Florida to face the Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final, as their upcoming opponent defeated the New York Rangers in six games to win the Eastern Conference Final. The series begins on Saturday night (June 8) at Amerant Bank Arena, with puck drop scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET.
Before we jump to all the storylines in the Stanley Cup Final, let’s wrap up the Western Conference Final and discuss winners and losers from Game 6.
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Winner – Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Connor McDavid is the best player in professional hockey, and with a chance to secure his first berth in the Stanley Cup Final, he opened the scoring in Game 6 with a power-play goal for the ages at 4:17 of the first period. As the captain and face of the franchise, his tally put the Stars on edge and gave the Oilers the start they needed in this pivotal elimination game. He then made a gorgeous feed to set up Zach Hyman for a power-play tally later in the period to make it 2-0.
Loser – Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars
Jake Oettinger gave up two early goals for the second consecutive game, putting Dallas in a deep hole and forcing them to chase the game for two periods. At least in Game 5, he made 23 saves (.885 save percentage), but in Game 6, he faced only 10 shots, making eight saves (.800 save percentage). He’s now 2-14 all-time in road playoff games with a sub .900 save percentage.
Winner – Stuart Skinner, Edmonton Oilers
Stuart Skinner finished Game 6 with 34 saves (.971 save percentage), giving the Oilers, by far, the best playoff performance of his career. Although he lost his shutout bid for the second game in a row in the third period, he made key saves all night long, bending but never breaking under heavy pressure.
Loser – Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars
Jamie Benn skated 20 shifts for 15:59 in Game 6 and was the only Stars forward not to register a shot on goal. Even though he was tied with the second most hits (four) of any player, he was a non-factor in the elimination game, which is not something fans and teammates expect to see from the captain.
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Winner – Zach Hyman, Edmonton Oilers
Zach Hyman’s power-play goal at 15:42 of the first period stood as the Game 6 winner, as the Oilers clung to 2-0 and 2-1 leads. As the leading goal scorer in these playoffs, it only seems natural now to see Hyman’s name on the scoresheet every contest. With 14 goals through three rounds, including three game-winners, he’s got a chance to catch Reggie Leach and Jari Kurri with 19 goals for the NHL record in a single postseason.
Loser – Ryan Suter, Dallas Stars
Ryan Suter is a 19-year NHL veteran, still chasing his first Stanley Cup title. In Game 6, he skated just 6:16 over 10 shifts, which was the second-lowest total of any player from either team besides Dallas defenseman Alex Petrovic, who played 6:00. Even though he’s been a liability at times over the past two playoff runs, Game 6 has to be one the lowest points of his solid career.
Winner – Edmonton Oilers Fans
Whether fans were inside or outside, the City of Edmonton can finally rejoice that the Oilers are back in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 18 years. As one of the most passionate fan bases in professional sports, there wasn’t an empty seat at Rogers Place as everyone watched Connor McDavid finally get his chance at a Stanley Cup. It’s a big moment for Canada, as well. There hasn’t been a Canadian team that’s won the Stanley Cup since 1993 (Montreal Canadiens).
Loser – Dallas Stars Penalty Kill
The Stars season ended on Sunday night, as the team failed to slow down or stop the Oilers’ dominant power play. By the end of the first period, Edmonton built up a 2-0 lead thanks to Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman scoring on the man advantage. That was all the offense the Oilers needed to bounce the top team in the Western Conference. After killing off Edmonton’s first five power plays to begin the series, Dallas imploded over the final three games, giving up four goals in six opportunities, costing them their chance at the Stanley Cup.
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Winner – Mason Marchment, Dallas Stars
Mason Marchment had the only goal for the Stars, breaking Stuart Skinner’s shutout bid at 9:18 of the third period. By this point, Dallas was only down by a goal but had put in a tremendous effort with 27 shots on goal, yet was unable to solve Skinner, who was strong from post to post. In the end, Marchment’s goal, his second in this series and third of the playoffs, was the only real highlight of the night for the Stars, who finished the night with 35 shots and not much on the scoresheet to brag about.
Loser – Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars
Miro Heiskanen didn’t do anything wrong in Game 6; he ends up in this category because no one else played more hockey in the elimination game than him, and yet the result didn’t go his way. Heiskanen finished the evening with a staggering 30:28 in ice time. No one else from either team played more than 25 minutes, with Esa Lindell (24:16) and Connor McDavid (23:44) coming closest. Unfortunately, the Finnish defenseman logged so much ice, exerted so much effort, and walked away with a crushing defeat.