Oilers Clinch Stanley Cup Final Berth with 6-3 Victory Over Stars

Connor McDavid showcased his elite skills with a breakaway goal and an assist, while veteran Corey Perry continued to defy age by scoring again. The Edmonton Oilers triumphed over the Dallas Stars 6-3 on Thursday night, sealing their place in the Stanley Cup Final for the second consecutive year.

Edmonton wasted no time, scoring on their first two shots and racing to a 3-0 lead within the first 8:07 of the game. This decisive victory eliminated the Stars from the Western Conference final for the second straight year.

Next up for the Oilers is a rematch against the defending champions, the Florida Panthers, following a thrilling seven-game series last June. The first game of this anticipated matchup is set for Wednesday night in Edmonton.

In addition to McDavid and Perry, Mattias Janmark, Jeff Skinner, Evander Kane, and Kasperi Kapanen contributed goals for Edmonton, with Kapanen's being an empty-netter in the final moments. Leon Draisaitl and Jake Walman each recorded two assists during the game.

For Dallas, Jason Robertson netted two goals, and Roope Hintz added another, but it wasn't enough to prevent their exit from the playoffs for the third consecutive year at this stage. Wyatt Johnston and Thomas Harley also provided two assists each.

As the game progressed, Dallas found themselves trailing 3-2 when Harley's one-timer was blocked by Mattias Ekholm, who was making his postseason debut. McDavid seized the opportunity, collecting the rebound and scoring past goalie Casey DeSmith with 5:32 remaining in the second period.

DeSmith had stepped in after starting goalie Jake Oettinger was pulled following Janmark's goal that put Edmonton up 2-0 just 7:09 into the game. In total, Edmonton's Stuart Skinner made 14 saves, while DeSmith, who hadn't played since April 26, stopped 17 of 20 shots.

Perry's power-play goal came early in the game, assisted by McDavid and Draisaitl just 2:31 into the first period. With seven goals this postseason, Perry has set a record for the most goals by any player aged 39 or older in a single playoff run. The former Anaheim champion is now heading to his fifth Final in six seasons.

McDavid's assist marked his 100th in just 90 playoff games, making him the second-fastest player in NHL history to reach this milestone. Only Wayne Gretzky achieved this feat faster, with 100 assists in his first 70 playoff games.

Robertson scored early in the third period, narrowing the gap for Dallas. However, Kane quickly responded with a goal that deflected off Dallas defenseman Esa Lindell's skate and past DeSmith.

Jeff Skinner, a seasoned forward with over 1,000 regular-season games under his belt, celebrated his first career postseason goal. After making his playoff debut against Los Angeles on April 21, he returned to action on Thursday due to injuries sidelining teammates Zach Hyman and Connor Brown.