NHL
Stars lose to the Oilers, Dallas with only one BIG Final this summer
Edmonton, who won the series against the Dallas Stars 4-2, will fight for the Stanley Cup this year against the Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers
It would be fantastic for the largest city in Texas if, besides the Mavericks, they had the Stars competing in the Finals series of the major US professional sports league. Unfortunately, they failed! And there’s still hope for another Dallas City championship appearance if the Texas Rangers, the current World Series champions, perform well in the remaining two-thirds of the MLB season.
The invincible Skinner
Edmonton won the last match in the 2:1 series, and to a large extent, the key to the victory was Stuart Skinner, the Canadian goalkeeper. He had 34 saves, and to make matters more critical, he conceded the only goal halfway through the third period. That point somewhat wore out the Stars, and they did not find enough time behind that goal to equalize.
The only scorer for Dallas was Mason Marchment.
In the game, Edmonton managed to score their goals early. Connor McDavid put Edmonton in the lead after four minutes, and Zack Hyman scored their second goal, marking his 14th goal in the playoffs, during the first period. It was an unusual game, and the role of Edmonton’s goalkeeper was crucial, as the Oilers won the match with only ten shots on goal. No team has won a game with fewer shots since 1990 in the playoffs.
Stanley Cup Finals preview
In the upcoming grand Stanley Cup final, the Oilers will face off against the Panthers from Florida. The Oilers will travel to Sunrise for this matchup, notably the longest distance between two cities that have produced National Hockey League finalists. Over its 52-year history, the Edmonton franchise has clinched the Stanley Cup five times, most notably during the 1980s when they had a dominant dynasty.
On the other hand, Florida’s team has a more modest history, having existed for only 31 years. During this time, they made it to the NHL finals once (losing to Vegas last season) and have secured one president’s trophy.