The Edmonton Oilers picked up a major Game 4 win. After going two goals down, Edmonton stormed back to defeat the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night. Edmonton's win ties the 2024 Western Conference Finals at two games apiece. But this win does carry some historical significance for the Oilers.
Edmonton has not allowed a power play goal in any of their last eight games, according to Sportsnet Stats. This mark has set a franchise record for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This highlights the dominance of Edmonton's penalty kill throughout this postseason.
The Oilers had a fine but not great penalty kill during the regular season. In fact, they entered the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a penalty kill percentage of less than 80%. In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, no team has killed penalties better than Edmonton. They have the highest penalty kill percentage with an astonishing 92.9%.
Oilers take Game 4 at home
The Oilers quickly fell behind the Stars in Game 4. Wyatt Johnston put Dallas ahead less than a minute into the game. Then defenseman Esa Lindell scored around five minutes later. But Edmonton refused to roll over and give up. And they eventually tied the game thanks to goals from Ryan McLeod and Evan Bouchard.
Neither team could score for most of the second period. However, the Oilers soon broke through. Mattias Janmark scored shorthanded to give his team the lead. Superstar forward Leon Draisaitl then doubled the Oilers lead before the second period. They entered the third period with a 4-2 lead.
The Stars could not find their game in the third period. Edmonton kept the Dallas offense at bay for the entirety of the final frame. In the end, a Mattias Ekholm empty-net goal sealed the win. Edmonton tied the series and avoided a nightmare scenario of needing to win Game 5 on the road to stay alive.
Edmonton, Stars seeking Stanley Cup Final berth
The Stars and Oilers are set for a photo finish in the Western Conference Finals. Dallas and Edmonton are entering a best-of-three situation with a trip to the Stanley Cup Final on the line. Winning this series pits them against either the Florida Panthers or New York Rangers.
For the Stars, they have been to the Stanley Cup Final recently. They made the Final back in 2020, only to fall to the Tampa Bay Lightning. In 2023, they made the Western Conference Finals again. However, they fell to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights.
The Oilers, though, are in rather uncharted waters. Edmonton made the Western Conference Finals in 2022, but didn't win a game. As a result, this is the closest the team has been to the Stanley Cup Final since 2006. Edmonton defeated the then-Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in five games in the Western Conference Finals. However, they failed to win the Stanley Cup, losing to the Carolina Hurricanes.
It's been a while since either of these teams have won it all in the NHL. Edmonton last won the Stanley Cup in 1990. That capped off a run of five Stanley Cups in a span of eight seasons. Dallas last won the Cup back in 1999. They defeated the Buffalo Sabres thanks to an infamous goal from Brett Hull.
These teams have a lot to play for moving forward. And it's certainly going to be an entertaining final three games. The Oilers and Stars face off again on Friday night at 8:30 PM Eastern Time.
Follow Us
Subscribe