The Dallas Stars lost to the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals and have officially been eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 4-2 series loss.
Dallas was more aggressive than Edmonton for the entirety of the game as the team had more than triple the number of shots on goal, but an early lead obtained by the Oilers allowed them to focus on defense and come out on top.
The Stars opened the game attacking Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner. They managed to take three shots within the first four minutes of the game but were unable to turn any of the shots into a goal.
Edmonton had the first power play opportunity of the game as Stars defenseman Chris Tanev was forced into the penalty box for two minutes after tripping Oilers right wing Zach Hyman.
The Oilers quickly attacked Dallas during the power play, taking a 1-0 lead in the game after center Connor McDavid flipped the puck past Stars goalie Jake Oettinger just 42 seconds into the advantage.
Dallas was once again a man down following a penalty called on defenseman Ryan Suter for slashing Oilers defenseman Cody Ceci. The Oilers capitalized on the power play with a goal scored by Hyman with just 4:18 left in the period.
Despite the Stars sending 11 shots on goal during the first period, they were unable to convert on a single attempt, finishing the 20 minutes of action without a goal and trailing 2-0 going into the first intermission.
The Stars stayed aggressive to open the second period as they continued to pepper shots at Skinner to the tune of six on goal in the first nine minutes; however, none of the shots found the back of the net as the game remained at 2-0 in favor of the Oilers.
Dallas’ aggressive approach on the offensive side of the game also helped their defense, as they prevented the Oilers from taking a single shot on goal for longer than 11 minutes of game time.
Neither team was able to score during the second period. The Stars were unsuccessful on all 10 of their attempts, and the Oilers failed to convert on all four of their shots.
The Stars opened the third period with a power play opportunity as Oilers center Leon Draisaitl was forced into the penalty box for two minutes after a delay of game penalty was called with 15:28 left in the game.
Dallas yet again failed to convert on its advantage. The team fell to 0/13 on power plays in the series, with the Oilers extending their penalty kill streak to 28 straight through their last two series.
Despite failing to convert on their power play, the Stars got on the board minutes later off a goal from left wing Mason Marchment, cutting the Oilers’ lead to just 2-1 with 10:42 remaining in the game.
The Stars were unable to score again within the next seven minutes of action. With just over two minutes remaining in the game, they opted to empty their net to give themselves an additional player on offense. However, this strategy proved ineffective, as the Stars could not convert despite taking multiple shots on goal during the final minutes of the game.
Dallas finished the game with 35 shots on goal while also holding the Oilers to just 10 shots, but the power play conversions made the difference.
This elimination is now the second straight year that the Stars’ season has ended with a Game 6 loss in the Western Conference Finals.
The Edmonton Oilers will now begin preparations for the Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers. The first game is currently scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m. CT.
