The Dallas Stars will face the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals tonight at 7 p.m., and with a win, they will seek to avoid elimination.
Dallas is coming off a brutal loss. In the first two periods of Game 5, the team gave up three unanswered goals, leading to a 3-1 loss.
After the game, Stars center Matt Duchene said that the team has been “a bit disjointed offensively this whole series” and that they need to trust in themselves and “go after them” if they want to win the series.
“I think we’ve been a bit tentative at times. Obviously, they have some world-class talent, and we can go after them a little more and trust our game,” he added, per the NHL.
The Stars will now look to steal a game on the road in Edmonton, which is a situation that has not been unfamiliar to the team during the postseason.
Dallas enters Game 6 as one of the best teams on the road during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, as they have a 6-2 record while playing on an opposing team’s ice through their three series thus far.
However, they will match up against an Edmonton team that has been effective on its home ice. The Oilers accumulated a record of 5-3 at home during their playoff run.
The Stars have been led this postseason by left wing Jason Robertson, who has contributed 16 points through 10 assists and six goals through the team’s first 18 games.
Despite struggling in Game 5, saving just 88.5% of shots sent his way, Stars goalie Jake Oettinger has been one of the most crucial players for Dallas during the team’s playoff run.
Oettinger has saved 91.5% of shots on goal during these playoffs and allowed three or fewer goals in 14 of the team’s 18 games.
While a solid performance from Oettinger will be necessary to help the Stars win Game 6, Dallas will also have to find a way to convert during power plays, an aspect of the game that the team has struggled with during this series.
Both teams were unable to convert on their power play opportunities coming into the most recent game as the Oilers entered 0-6 and the Stars entered 0-9, but Edmonton managed to convert on two of their three opportunities during Game 5 to help get out to an early lead.
However, the Stars failed to convert on either of their opportunities and have now gone 0-11 during the Western Conference Finals.
Although the Oilers have killed an incredible 93.5% of power play opportunities during these playoffs, the Stars must find a way to convert early in Game 6 to put pressure on Edmonton.
Dallas will enter Game 6 with only defenseman Jani Hakanpää listed on the injury report, though he has already been confirmed to be unavailable for Game 6 despite rumors that he may be able to suit up for the first time since March 16, according to CBS Sports.