Game Day Guide: Stars vs Oilers

Western Conference Final: Game 5

When: Thursday, May 29 at 7:00 PM CT

Where: American Airlines Center

TV: ESPN, ESPN+

Radio: The Ticket 96.7-FM, 1310-AM

Live Stats: NHL Game Center

Tickets: Single Game / Suites

Local Parking: AAC Parking Options

Arena Bag Policy: Frequently Asked Questions

Party on PNC Plaza: 5:00 PM South Entrance

Pregame Band: Justin Myers

Doors Open: 5:30 PM CT

Five Points 5️⃣

• The Dallas Stars face the Edmonton Oilers Thursday night for Game 5 of the Western Conference Final. The Stars have a 31-31 all-time record in Game 5s including a 18-7 record on home ice, while Edmonton is 27-17 in Game 5s with a 14-12 record on the road.
• Dallas has gone 16-for-51 on the power play this postseason for a 31.4 percent success rate, which was the third-best mark in the NHL entering play Wednesday and is the highest conversion rate of any team remaining in the playoffs. The Stars scored at least one power-play goal in 12 of the 17 games they played this postseason.
• The Stars have the most wins on home ice (7) of any teams this postseason and hold the third highest points percentage (.778) of teams with at least four home games played entering play Wednesday. Dallas also has the second most goals for on home ice (31) and the second highest goal differential at home (+9) among Conference Finals teams.
• Defenseman Thomas Harley has 12 points (4-8—12) in 17 games this postseason. Entering play Wednesday, he ranked second on the Stars and among all NHL defensemen in playoff scoring this year. His 12 points also ranked 7th among all NHL skaters. Harley’s goal and point totals this postseason are already playoff career highs for the defenseman, and his eight assists match his career high that he had during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
• Forward Mikael Granlund has totaled three points (1-2—3) in four postseason games against the Oilers. When Granlund has been on the ice during 5-on-5 play in this series, the Stars have outshot the Oilers 27-21 according to Natural Stat Trick. Granlund has totaled 10 points (5-5—10) this postseason, setting a playoff career high in goals, assists and points.

Players To Watch 👀

Stars forward Mikko Rantanen enters Game 5 of the Western Conference Final ranked third in the league in postseason scoring, totaling 21 points (9-12—21) in 17 games. Rantanen’s nine goals were tied for the league and his 12 assists were tied for fourth entering play Wednesday. According to NHL Stats, Rantanen (9-12—21) has the third-most playoff points by a player acquired on that season’s Trade Deadline Day. In his postseason career against Edmonton, Rantanen has tallied eight points (4-4—8) in eight games. In his career when his team is facing elimination, Rantanen has earned 17 points (10-7—17) in 13 games, with his team owning a record of 7-6 in those games.

Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins enters Thursday's contest riding a four-game multi-point streak, earning nine points (2-7—9) during that span. According to NHL Stats, Nugent-Hopkins is the first Oilers player with eight or more points through the first four games of a Conference Finals series since Wayne Gretzky earned 10 points in four games in 1988. He became the seventh different player in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to record multiple points during each of the first four games of the round before the Final, according to NHL Stats. In his postseason career against Dallas, Nugent-Hopkins has 13 points (4-9—13) in 10 games.

First Shift 🏒

In addition to getting all of their depth scoring going, the Stars have another challenge; get superstar Rantanen hot again.

Rantanen had a stretch of nine goals over six games and took over the playoff scoring lead to help Dallas with series wins over Colorado and Winnipeg. In four games against Edmonton, he has just two assists and he now hasn’t scored a goal in the past seven games.

“I try to help and haven’t been able to do it as much this series as would be needed to win games,” Rantanen said after Tuesday’s 4-1 loss in Edmonton. “So, I will try to reset myself tomorrow and try to find some keys to get a bounce or two and try to help us win a game.”

Rantanen has been on a line with Roope Hintz, and Hintz was knocked out of Game 2 on a slash by Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse and subsequently missed Game 3. That hasn’t helped in Rantanen’s “slump,” but the Stars are hopeful Hintz is up and running after Game 4 and the line can get some chemistry again.

Dallas has allowed the first goal in every game this series. On Tuesday, the Stars dominated the first period with 39 shot attempts, but Edmonton scored a power play goal to take a 1-0 lead. Dallas tied it but clearly was affected with playing from behind.

“Just having a hard time getting the first goal, which would be important in the playoffs, if you can play with the lead,” Rantanen said. “We haven’t done it a lot in these playoffs. We haven’t scored the first goal many times. I think guys were working hard in the first period. We were better than them five-on-five and obviously they get a [power play] goal. We pushed really hard tonight, but two power play goals for them and only one for us. That was the game.”

Dallas had 15 shots that missed the net in the first period and finished with 26 for the game. The recent scoring slump could be affecting the shooters.

“I feel like we missed the net a lot,” said forward Tyler Seguin. “I felt like I missed the net quite a bit. There [are] things to do better. Obviously, getting shots is great. Hit the net a bit more, get guys in front of their goalie a bit more. Bear down a bit more.”

And, oh yeah, have your best guy get hot again.

“It’s time to reset again,” Rantanen said. “It’s not over until somebody wins four games. Now we go to home ice. You don’t think about what the series is. It’s about just win one game. And try to come back to Alberta.”

Key Numbers 🔢

6

Matt Duchene led the Stars with 6 shots that missed the net last game. He had two shots on goal.

67 percent

Hintz won 67 percent of his faceoffs in Game 4 (10-of-15). The Stars won 61 percent for the game.

9.1 percent

Edmonton’s biggest statistical difference between home and road is their special teams. The Oilers hit on 59.3 percent of their home power plays and 9.1 percent of their road power plays. They kill 83.3 percent of penalties at home and 55.6 percent on the road.

He Said It 📢

“The referees and the league have to take care of that.”

-Stars coach Pete DeBoer on the fact that Edmonton defenseman Evan Bouchard tapped Hintz on top of his injury as the two were skating to the bench

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on X @MikeHeika.