Stars stung by 3rd straight exit in Western Final with Game 5 loss

DALLAS -- For the third straight season, the Dallas Stars found the Western Conference Final a bridge too far.

This time, it was a five-game loss to the Edmonton Oilers, capped by a 6-3 loss at home in Game 5 on Thursday. The Oilers won the final four games of the best-of-7 series.

The Stars lost to the Oilers last season, losing the final three games. In 2023, they lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in six games after falling in a 3-0 hole.

“It [stinks],” Dallas captain Jamie Benn said in what could be his final game with the Stars. The 35-year-old can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

“I mean, three years in a row now; you get that close and you come up short,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who you’re playing. Obviously, not a good feeling.”

Said Dallas forward Jason Robertson: “I mean, I don’t really have that answer right now. But yeah, it doesn’t feel good.”

A feeling that was made worse by the way they accomplished the ignominious feat this postseason.

They never scored first in the five games of this series and other than a five-goal third period to come back to win Game 1, could never find a way to eradicate those leads. They never held a lead in any of the final four games.

In the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Stars allowed the first goal 10 times in 13 games against the Colorado Avalanche and the Winnipeg Jets. who were the top seed in the tournament.

Their cardiac kids routine dried up against the best team they played this postseason.

“I thought we had a lot of opportunities this series to score some goals,” said Robertson, who had two goals in Game 5. “Obviously, not getting a lead, or the first goal, killed us. I think that was kind of the theme.”

It was a death knell against an Edmonton team that possesses the steely-eyed focus of a team that was one goal removed from a Stanley Cup championship last season, losing 2-1 to the Panthers in Game 7.

On this night, things started brutally for the Stars and they never recovered.

They only gave up two shots on goal in the first 7:09 of the game, but each ended up in the back of the net.

That made for an early night for Jake Oettinger, a hero in the first two rounds who turned human against the Oilers. He allowed 16 goals in the series and posted a save percentage of better than .900 in one of the five games he started, a .935 in a 4-1 loss in Game 4.

Corey Perry, who had a goal and an assist in Game 4, struck again when he was left unmarked in front of the goal and scored on a pass from Connor McDavid on the power play at 2:31.

Mattias Janmark scored on a breakaway at 7:09 after two passes from the Edmonton goal line sprung him behind the defense.

Oettinger was replaced by Casey DeSmith, who allowed three goals on 20 shots in his first action since a relief stint against the Avalanche on April 26.

Edmonton forward Jeff Skinner, replacing the injured Zach Hyman, scored at 8:07 to make it 3-0 and cause a full-blown panic.

“It was a disaster,” Robertson said. “I mean, you go down three goals, bang, bang, bang. I mean, we fought back today.”

There is no quit in the DNA of the Stars, which is why they have won 21 playoff games in the past three postseasons.

Twice in this game, Dallas cut the lead to one goal, only to have the Oilers find an answer.

Robertson and Roope Hintz scored to make it 3-2 at 12:27 of the second period, only to see McDavid score a breakaway goal 2:01 later.

Robertson scored 38 seconds into the third to make it 4-3 and keep hope alive. Evander Kane extinguished it less than three minutes later when his harmless centering pass from behind the net bounced off the skate of Dallas defenseman Esa Lindell and pinballed past DeSmith.

It was the last noise the Stars would make this season.

“Belief was still there for sure,” said Dallas forward Mikko Rantanen. "Those [goals] sting for sure. We get a goal early in the third and it’s a one-goal game with 17, 18 minutes left and then a puck from behind the net goes in off Esa; another bounce. You need to capitalize on your bounces in the playoffs and they did.”

The Oilers capitalized for sure throughout this series, but they also proved resoundingly that they were the better team, finishing with a 22-11 advantage in goals for the series.

“I’m really proud of the resiliency of our group through the first two rounds,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “We scratched and clawed and found a way to beat two really good teams.

“And I’m also disappointed that we didn’t find another level, another gear here, another way. Getting back here to this point, how hard it is to get back here. I would say I’m both those things. I think that’s OK, and I think our group needs to go and -- coaches, players -- and reflect in the summer on what we can do better when we get to this point against the best teams.

“But there’s no doubt the two best teams are playing for the Cup.”