Edmonton and McDavid win in Dallas, one step away from NHL Finals

The Edmonton Oilers won Friday’s battle for the Western Conference Finals tiebreaker, defeating the Stars 3-1 in Dallas and are one step away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals with a 3-2 series lead.

The last time the Alberta club played for the Cup was in 2006. The Oilers fell short to the Carolina Hurricanes, losing 3:4. Dallas led 2-1 in the series and 2-0 in Game 4 in Edmonton after a great start, but has been on the short end of the stick ever since. At home, the Texans only broke through with a 0:3 lead near the end.

“Everyone played very well, from the goalie to the last player in the field. It was very close to an ideal performance – from the beginning to the final whistle. I really liked it,” said star Connor McDavid after the game. His team is now one win away from the Stanley Cup Final.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was Edmonton’s star, scoring twice. “We really want a lot from him as a team. But whatever task he’s asked to do, he always gets it done. Today belonged to him, he was just absolutely amazing,” said captain McDavid of the successful scorer.

The team from Alberta won the fifth game on the ice of the Dallas Stars 3: 1 and can secure the title in front of their fanatical fans on Sunday night (02: 00 CEST).

“The crowd will be excited, that’s for sure. They will be loud and excited, full of expectations. But for us, it’s going to be about keeping our emotions in check, staying true to ourselves and believing in our game enough to get the job done,” said a happy Oilers goal scorer Nugent-Hopkins after the win.

Interestingly, McDavid notched his 25th assist in this playoffs and is the fifth best assist in Oilers history in a single playoff game, just behind Wayne Gretzky (31 in 1988, 30 in 1985, 29 in 1987 and 26 in 1983).

Evan Bouchard (45 games), in turn, became the third-fastest defenseman in NHL history to reach 50 points in a playoff game, behind Brian Leetch (41) and Bobby Orr (39). Bouchard has 51 points (13 goals, 38 assists).

Source: NHL