Stars-Oilers Game 5 preview: Can Dallas extend the series?

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ESPN staffMay 29, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

Some teams execute their champion with their backs proverbially against the wall. We volition find retired if that's the lawsuit for the Dallas Stars.

The Edmonton Oilers person opened up a 3-1 pb implicit the Stars successful the Western Conference finals, heading into Game 5 Thursday nighttime (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+).

Can the Stars nonstop it backmost to Alberta for Game 6 connected Saturday? Or volition the Oilers adjacent them retired and articulation the Florida Panthers successful the Stanley Cup Final for a 2nd consecutive year?

Here are notes connected the matchup from ESPN Research, arsenic good arsenic betting intel from ESPN BET:

More from Game 4: Recap | Grades

Matchup notes

Dallas Stars astatine Edmonton Oilers
Game 5 | 8 p.m. ET | ESPN/ESPN+

The Oilers' likelihood to triumph the Western Conference finals are present -1200, up from -375 heading into Game 4. Meanwhile, the Stars' likelihood to rally for the triumph are present +600, up from +280 erstwhile the bid was 2-1. Edmonton is present +110 to triumph the Cup, portion Dallas is +1400. Connor McDavid leads the Conn Smythe likelihood list, astatine +130; Leon Draisaitl (+650) is the lone different subordinate successful this bid nether 10-1.

Edmonton is present 6-1 astatine location this postseason, outscoring opponents 33-17. The Oilers are 17-1 successful best-of-seven bid all-time erstwhile starring 3-1; their lone nonaccomplishment was the 1989 part semifinals against the Los Angeles Kings.

Dallas has been outscored 10-0 connected the roadworthy successful the archetypal play this postseason, the archetypal squad successful Stanley Cup playoff past to neglect to people a first-period extremity connected the roadworthy done 8 games of a azygous playoff year. They person mislaid each 16 best-of-seven bid erstwhile trailing 3-1.

Draisaitl had a power-play extremity and an assistance successful Game 4, the 13th game-opening playoff extremity successful his career, which ties Wayne Gretzky and Glenn Anderson for the astir successful franchise history. It was his 20th vocation power-play extremity successful the postseason, which is 4th successful Oilers' franchise past down Gretzky (23), Jari Kurri (22) and Anderson (22).

With different multipoint game, McDavid present has much vocation playoff games with 2 oregon much points (45) than 1 oregon zero points combined (44).

Stuart Skinner has gone 5-1 successful his past six starts, and his 24th vocation playoff triumph moves him up of Andy Moog into 3rd connected the franchise leaderboard; Bill Ranford is second, with 25, portion Grant Fuhr is No. 1 with 74.

Jason Robertson scored a power-play extremity successful the Game 4 loss. His 7 power-play goals implicit the past 4 postseasons are the astir for the Stars successful that span.

Dallas' Mikko Rantanen finished with nary goals connected 2 shots connected goal. He present has a seven-game goalless drought, which is tied for his longest successful a azygous postseason (2022, with the Colorado Avalanche).

With his adjacent win, Stars goalie Jake Oettinger volition determination up the leaderboard for playoff wins by a U.S.-born netminder. His 32 are tied for 4th with Jon Casey and Frank Brimsek, down Tom Barrasso (61), Jonathan Quick (49) and Mike Richter (41).