Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers are determined to right their wrongs from last season and hoist the Stanley Cup for the sixth time in franchise history. In order to do so, they must first move past the Mikko Rantanen-led Dallas Stars in the NHL Western Conference Final, an identical rematch of last year’s meeting.
The Stars are not the same team of last season, though, and McDavid has certainly taken notice of the team in Dallas. Rantanen has been a one-man wrecking crew throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs, making an impact on every game, and leading the NHL in points.
Edmonton is gearing up for a grueling battle against Dallas, set to begin on May 21 at American Airlines Center. McDavid and the Oilers will once again be without home-ice advantage, a role they’ve already embraced, having eliminated both Los Angeles and Vegas with clutch road wins.
Still, there is a silver lining and light at the end of the tunnel: if they advance to the Stanley Cup Final, they will start the series at Rogers Place as they finished above both Eastern Conference finalists—the Hurricanes and Panthers in the NHL standings. Home-ice advantage could come in handy for McDavid and company in their hunt for Edmonton’s sixth Stanley Cup.
Mikko Rantanen #96 of the Dallas Stars celebrates after scoring an empty-net hat-trick goal against the Colorado Avalanche during the third period in Game Seven of the First Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center on May 03, 2025 in Dallas, Texas.
Regardless, that’s a headache for the future and the Oilers cannot lose sight of their current threat in the Stars—in case anybody has been living under a rock in Edmonton, McDavid was quick to deliver a powerful warning about Rantanen to his teammates.
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“Adding Rantanen helps; he’s played really well. He’s been doing it for a really long time as well. He’s a perennial 100-point guy, scored 50 goals, he’s a great player who we’ll need to keep an eye out in this series,” Oilers captain Connor McDavid stated, per NHL.com. “Their power play seems to be really clicking. It’s going to be tough, but we’re excited for the challenge as we always are.”
New star, same Stars
Though Rantanen’s arrival provided an immediate impact in Dallas, Peter DeBoer’s team has been among the best in the NHL for quite some time now, and the Finnish star didn’t change their system, he only helped take it to the next level. Hopefully, far enough for Dallas to conquer the Cup for the second time in franchise history.
Kris Knoblauch firmly stands by that statement, offering his point of view on the Stars, as the two sides gear up for a rematch from last season’s Western Conference Final, where the Oilers advanced to the grand stage in six games.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch of the Edmonton Oilers takes part in practice during the off day between games against the Florida Panthers in the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place on June 12, 2024 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
“Looking through the rosters from last year, our team to theirs, I think each team has probably five or six new players. So, the look of the teams is a little different, but I think the identities of each one playing is very similar,” Knoblauch said. “The trade with Rantanen obviously being the biggest one, that changes their identity a little bit.”
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Grab your popcorn
Rantanen registers 19 points (9 goals, 10 assists) so far in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Stars, leading the league. McDavid trails in second place with 17 (3 goals, 14 assists). If either side wants to move on, they must contain the biggest threats on their opponent’s side—though that statement rolls off the tongue much easier than it translates to a gameplan.
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The Stars and Oilers square off in a series as evenly matched as it is electric, with both teams boasting elite skaters, fearless defenders with a scoring touch, and goaltenders capable of stealing any game.
