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The Edmonton Oilers have all of the momentum going into Game 5 of the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night. They've won three straight games, have outscored their opponents 13-2 in that span, and are getting some of the best goaltending of Stuart Skinner's career.
But despite that, head coach Kris Knoblauch knows none of that matters when puck drops at American Airlines Center.
“I think momentum ends as soon as the game's done,” Knoblauch said, per NHL.com's Gerry Moddejonge. “It's a new game. No matter what happens, whether it's a heartbreaking loss, an overtime win or a blowout, I think it gets reset. I don't think that momentum carries from game to game.”
That being said, Knoblauch knows his team is in a great spot — and just 60 minutes away from back-to-back appearances in the Stanley Cup Final.
“We have a good record when we've been in those situations,” the bench boss explained. “I'm confident with our guys being mature. They're experienced. They don't get too high or too low. It's not that they would ever think that we've got this under wraps. That is definitely never the case with this team.
“They know how hard it is to win that last deciding game, and they also have a lot of respect for the Dallas Stars, knowing that they're a good team who can certainly turn it up. They turned around a series in the first round against Colorado.”
The Stars are having an impossible time getting anything past Skinner, who has been a brick wall since returning from injury against the Vegas Golden Knights in Round 2. He pitched two straight shoutouts in Games 4 and 5 to send the Knights packing, and has only allowed two goals in his last three starts against Dallas.
Oilers are oh-so-close to another Finals appearance
What Edmonton will be missing in Game 5 — and for the rest of the postseason — is key forward Zach Hyman, who left early in Game 4 and underwent season-ending surgery on Wednesday.
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He's a critical part of the Oilers attack, and is irreplaceable. But the team knows how to close out a series, and they'll be locked in on making sure when they return to Edmonton, it's as Western Conference champions — not to play a Game 6.
“Going back to our team, I think we're just even-keeled,” Knoblauch said, per Moddejonge. “We don't get too high, too low. And we know how important that next game is.”
The last time the Oilers made back-to-back Finals appearances was all the way back in 1986-87 and 1987-88, when the well-documented Edmonton dynasty won Cups No. 3 and 4. They also won in 1984 and 1985, as well as in 1990 without Wayne Gretzky.
The franchise doesn't have a championship since, although they were oh-so-close in 2006, losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 7.
What the Oilers won't be doing is looking too far ahead towards a potential Finals rematch against the Florida Panthers, who knocked out the Hurricanes in Game 5 of the East Final on Wednesday.
There's still work to be done — and the Stars will be bringing their best with their backs against the wall. Game 5 should be a dandy; puck drops from Texas just past 8:00 p.m. on Thursday night.
