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The Edmonton Oilers have exemplified elite resilience throughout the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, overcoming a 2-0 deficit versus the Los Angeles Kings and gutting out multiple wins against the Vegas Golden Knights in the previous round.
Their redemption tour is ramping up as a rematch with the defending champion Florida Panthers comes into sight. But the Dallas Stars are looking for their own brand of vengeance.
Trailing 3-1 entering the third period in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, Peter DeBoer's composed and cohesive group capitalized on the Oilers' penalty-palooza and surged to a 6-3 win over the team that ended its Cup hopes last year.
Edmonton surrendered three power-play goals in a six-minute span, quickly ceding momentum to the Stars. It was an unfamiliar turn of events for the tenacious squad.
Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the rest of the Oilers are used to being the beneficiary of a clutch scoring barrage. On Wednesday, however, they sunk into quick sand and could not find a way out before the final horn sounded. Perhaps the defeat is just the humble reminder Edmonton needs to recapture its signature moxie.
McDavid expressed that he is not worried. He knows the makeup of this team and anticipates a different showing when the Oilers and Stars next face off.
“This group has always responded to these types of situations pretty well, and I expect the same tomorrow night,” the three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner and 2024 Conn Smythe Trophy recipient said Thursday, per NHL.com's Derek Van Diest.
“We've had disappointment in various different runs and varies times in these playoffs and responded really, really well. I expect to do that again tomorrow.”
Can the Oilers battle back once again?
There is little room for let-down performances against a seasoned team like Dallas, but Edmonton has also experienced a ton in recent years. Although the franchise centers heavily around its top two stars, a number of players have stepped up in big situations.
The same must happen again in Game 2 if the Oilers are going to gain momentum in this series. Of course, their ceiling will only reach so far if No. 97 is not at his best.
Connor McDavid has scored only one goal in his last nine games and has just three overall in these playoffs. The 28-year-old can obviously impact the action in other ways, as illustrated by his supreme playmaking abilities, but the team needs him to light the lamp as well. Friday night's battle in American Airlines Center would be an ideal time for an eruption.
Neither McDavid nor the Oilers seem flustered. They know what it feels like to get knocked down, and even more importantly, they know how to get back up and press forward. Their mettle will be put to the test against the Stars, though. The puck drops at 8 p.m. ET.
