The first game of the 2025 Western Conference Finals made one perennial truth of the Stanley Cup playoffs clear to fans: never give up until the final buzzer.
The Dallas Stars, after trailing 3-1 at the start of the third period, managed to score five goals, securing a 6-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.
Can the Oilers bounce back in Game 2, to be played on Friday? Or will the Stars extend their lead to 2-0, heading to Alberta for the next two games?
Match Notes
Edmonton Oilers vs. Dallas Stars
Game 2 | 8 p.m. ET
After the Stars’ victory in Game 1, Dallas is now the favorite to win the series, while the Oilers are at a disadvantage. The Stars’ odds for the Stanley Cup are favorable, while the Oilers’ are lower. Mikko Rantanen has surpassed Connor McDavid on the list of Conn Smythe Trophy candidates.
Teams that win Game 1 of a best-of-seven series have won that series 68% of the time in Stanley Cup playoffs history. In 2025, those teams have won nine of 12 series (75%).
The Stars scored three power-play goals in the first 5:58 of the third period of Game 1, becoming the second team since 1934 (when goals by type were officially tracked) with three power-play goals in the first six minutes of a playoff period; along with the New York Rangers in Game 1 of the 2014 conference finals (4:36).
Dallas’s five total goals in the third period of Game 1 are the most in a single period in Stars/North Stars franchise history.
Dallas defenseman Miro Heiskanen now has 13 multi-point games in the playoffs, tied with Sergei Zubov for the most by a defenseman in franchise history.
Rantanen has 20 points this postseason. It’s his third postseason with 20 points, making him one of six active players to reach the 20-point mark in three or more consecutive postseasons. The list also includes Sidney Crosby (four times), Nikita Kucherov (four), Patrick Kane (three), Evgeni Malkin (three), and McDavid (three).
Leon Draisaitl and McDavid were factors on the same playoff goal for the 69th time in their postseason careers, which is the fourth-most for any pair of teammates in NHL history, behind Wayne Gretzky and Jari Kurri (132), Glenn Anderson and Mark Messier (86), as well as Mike Bossy and Bryan Trottier (85).
Stuart Skinner’s shutout streak ended at 142:42, marking the fourth-longest shutout sequence in the playoffs in Oilers franchise history. He saved 55 consecutive shots before conceding the first goal to Tyler Seguin in the game.
Leaders in annotation
- Mikko Rantanen, RW, Dallas Stars
GP: 14 | G: 9 | A: 11 - Leon Draisaitl, C, Edmonton Oilers
GP: 12 | G: 6 | A: 13
