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For just the second time in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Dallas Stars are staring down the barrel of elimination. After a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final on Tuesday night, Pete DeBoer's club is one loss away from back-to-back-to-back final four exits.
And the veteran head coach has seen this movie before.
“A little bit of the same story, right? Just can’t get that lead,” DeBoer said afterwards, per The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. “Yeah, I loved our first period. Other than I thought we missed the net too much. I think 15 missed shots. We’ve got to make it a little bit tougher and make sure we’re hitting nets in those situations. But really, to play a period like that and not get out even or up, you’re actually down a goal, is a tough spot.”
The Stars are having an impossible time getting the puck past Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner. After a five-goal third period outburst that helped Dallas capture Game 1, they've scored just two goals in three games since.
That's not a recipe for any kind of success, especially considering Edmonton is firing on all cylinders and looking locked in on back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Final.
Stars on verge of 3rd straight West Final loss
The Stars advanced to the Stanley Cup Final back in 2019-20, but lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games. Since that time, they've managed to advance to three Western Conference Finals, and so far, they haven't had any success.
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This series isn't over, but if the Stars can't find a way to more effectively put the puck in the back of the net, the offseason could start as soon as Thursday night. No forwards are having a good time in the series, but Mikko Rantanen, who has put the team on his back these playoffs, has been noticeably quiet.
“Yeah, you know, I try to help and haven’t been able to do it as much this series as would be needed to win games,” said Rantanen, who hasn't scored a goal in seven games, per LeBrun. “So, I will try to reset myself tomorrow and try to find some keys to get a bounce or two and try to help us win a game.”
“It’s time to reset again,” the star forward added. “It’s not over until somebody wins four games. Now we go to home ice. You don’t think about what the series is. It’s about just win one game. And try to come back to Alberta.”
Dallas is a terrific hockey team, and they have faith they can get back in this series. But they need to find a way to make life more difficult for Skinner, who is in fine form and has stymied the Stars' offense time and time again since Game 1.
If things don't change quickly, Thursday will be curtains on DeBoer and co.'s 2024-25 campaign. But all it would take is one victory to get them firmly back in the series.
Puck drops just past 8:00 p.m. ET from American Airlines Center on Thursday.
