Center Connor McDavid won nine of his 16 faceoffs and tallied one assist, one takeaway and a key shot block in the third period that helped seal the game. Defenseman Evan Bouchard chipped in with two assists and three blocked shots as the Oilers suffocated the Stars down the stretch.

Sometimes a best-of-seven series can behave like a marathon with too many twists and turns and hills to count. And other times, it’s strange how a fan’s thoughts can shift from elation to devastation about a series in a matter of,

Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin (91) and Edmonton Oilers center Mattias Janmark (13) face-off for the puck during the second period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero) AP

The Edmonton Oilers will be taking on the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final for the second year in a row. The Oilers took down the Stars last year in six games, and will try to make it happen again.

Things are getting ugly in Game 2 between the Dallas Stars and the Edmonton Oilers, and not just on the scoreboard. With the Stars trailing the Oilers 3-0 in the third period on Friday, Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse added both insult and injury with a fairly blatant slashing penalty against Stars’ forward Roope Hintz.