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Edmonton Journal
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Who has the edge between Edmonton and Dallas in the Western Conference Final and why: 9 Things
Article content Article content With Dallas eliminating Winnipeg in Game Six Saturday night, the rematch is set in stone. What will the keys be to the Oilers repeating last year's triumph, and taking a second consecutive shot at Lord Stanley's mug?? That and more in this edition of… 9 Things 9. Corey Perry turned forty on Friday. It speaks to the player's ensuring skill, grit, and commitment when you consider he has scored twenty-four goals this year. Gordie Howe scored twenty-five in the 1968-69. Article content 8. Roster depth has been a common, positive theme for Edmonton in this postseason. Kasperi Kapanen's OT winner in Game Five made him the thirteenth Oilers forward to score. Will that number climb before these playoffs are done? 7. Still on depth, if you check the game sheet from Game Five look at the TOI in the overtime period. Every player touched the ice in extra time. Every. Single. Player. That is a master class in coaching: Trusting each guy at the most critical time in the most important period of the year (to date). 6. You can point to many differences in the Oilers' performance from the regular season to these playoffs. One of the biggest has been Evander Kane. He is a big game player with a unique set of skills. Some wanted to trade Kane this season. Not me. Who else does what he does, and when? 5. Two Oilers prospects are going to the Memorial Cup. Sam O'Reilly finished the OHL playoffs with twenty-two points in seventeen games for the London Knights. William Nicholl's performance in comparison was muted, eight in seventeen matches. O'Reilly was the Edmonton Oilers ' first round pick in 2024 (thirty-second overall). Nicholl was a seventh rounder. Article content 4. A few folks questioned me after a comment that I made in advance of the Vegas series. I said that the Oilers were a faster team than the Golden Knights, even though Vegas did play 'quick.' Over the final two games of the series Edmonton out chanced the Golden Knights off the rush to the tune of 22-6. This is from a Vegas team correctly applauded for its transition play out of their own end and how effectively they romp through the neutral zone. 3. Connor McDavid 's prickly answer to a perfectly fair question after Game Five raised a few eyebrows. But I think it goes back to the same source as many things we have seen in Connor's game and approach this season: The Game Seven loss to Florida last Spring. Unless you have been in a comparable situation, it might be difficult to understand what kind of a mark a defeat like that leaves. The fire to win burns even hotter. Article content Article content 2. Going into the Stanley Cup Playoffs perhaps the biggest question the Oilers must answer was whether their goaltending would stand up. Well, after a shaky start in the L.A. series both goalies have been excellent since. Calvin Pickard is on a six-game win streak. Stuart Skinner has back-to-back shutouts. In the Vegas series, the Edmonton netminders had the better Goals Saved Above Expectation in all four victories. Heading into the Western Conference Final, the healthier Skinner is the natural selection to start Game One. But as the series progresses, the team must feel great about both guys. Oilers-Stars series starts Wednesday, May 21st in Dallas. Game One will be an 8pm Eastern Time start, as will Game Two on May 23 rd. The scene will shift to Edmonton for Game Three, with a head-scratching 3pm start. Then, the balance of the games will also be 8 EST. As we surely all know by now, we have seen this movie before. And last time it ended well for Oilers fans. But these are two slightly different teams from the previous encounter. What will the differences be that may propel one club past the other. Let us break that down now: Article content Goaltending. I have just been through the Oilers' situation. Once Calvin Pickard is healthy, Edmonton has two hot hands they can go to. Jake Oettinger is one of the best keepers in the league. He is completely capable of stealing a series. Even those wearing the most Oilers-coloured of glasses would certainly admit that Dallas probably has an edge in the net. But…Edmonton has won consecutive series where that was also said about them. And they defeated Oettinger last year. So, I do not think it is quite the advantage some may. Team Defence. The Dallas Stars had the fifth best defensive squad in the NHL this past regular season. On paper they look like a tough matchup in that respect. But…along the way to the Western Conference Final, the Oilers beat both Los Angeles and Vegas, the sixth and third best defensive squads, respectively. So, like in Goal I do not think team defence is the difference maker for Dallas that some may assume that it is. Containing the Oilers will not be easy. In fact, with a little extra rest and ample motivation, I might suggest it is a tall order. Article content The Blueline. Dallas has some terrific defenders. A healthy Miro Heiskanen is a major factor. Esa Lindell is a splendid blueliner and one of the most underrated D-men in the league. We saw in the international tournament this past winter how terrific of a young defenceman Thomas Harley us. And will Cody Ceci, a guy I found that far too many Oilers faithful took for granted while he was in Edmonton is a solid presence. Dallas has the quickest, most skilled D-corps that the Oilers have faced so far. Can Mattias Ekholm return and make a difference? Advantage: Dallas. Team Offence. Dallas finished ahead of Edmonton in overall team offence in 2024-25 (the Stars were fifth, the Oilers ninth). But I see Edmonton with the best high-end offensive skill. Mikko Rantanen is a tremendous player but until he outplays Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, I will argue that he is a quarter-rung below them both. Edmonton has been getting impressive depth contributions as I have detailed earlier in this article. and in terms of team speed the Oilers are quicker, second in the league to the Avalanche. Article content Physicality. I give the Oilers the edge here. When is the last time we have been able to say that? Neither club was especially physical in the regular season. Neither even finished in the top twenty-five in terms hits. But the arrival of Evander Kane and Trent Frederic on the scene has been impactful. Edmonton has edge on all four lines. Coaching. Two great coaches. One with loads of experience. One with relatively little. Pete Deboer has a career .585 winning percentage. Kris Knoblauch, in a much smaller sample, is at .659. But Knoblauch will only be an underdog in his role so much longer. And he won this same matchup last spring. Tie. Intangibles. This is a tougher call. Dallas will have an axe to grind. Edmonton beat the Stars last year. There is a score to settle. But Dallas did not lose in Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Finals. I believe there is a deeper, even more acute purpose in Edmonton's side. Latest National Stories
Hindustan Times
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Warriors face big offseason decisions after playoff defeat
May 15 - With Stephen Curry watching from the bench, the Warriors season came to a close on Wednesday with a 121-110 Game Five loss to the Timberwolves, leaving the franchise to now decide how to proceed with an aging core thirsty for one more taste of glory. The second-round playoff series changed completely when Curry strained his left hamstring in Golden State's Game One win. The team never recovered, losing four straight games to the younger and more athletic Minnesota squad. Warriors players and coaches were quick to credit the Wolves for sending them on early vacation, but the unmistakable reality was that without Curry, the Warriors lacked sufficient firepower to compete. "I don't want to take anything away from what Minnesota just accomplished, so there's no sense in even talking about Steph," head coach Steve Kerr told reporters after the game. Kerr, under whose leadership the Warriors became an NBA dynasty with titles in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022, said it was "a hell of a run" after the acquisition of Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline revived their postseason hopes. "Jimmy changed our season, flipped everything for us and gave us a chance," Kerr said. "We became one of the best teams in the league." But that league, especially the stacked Western Conference, continues to get better, and the Warriors also have to contend with Father Time. Curry, who was likely to play in Game Six of the series had the Warriors been able to extend it, is 37. The team's emotional leader, Draymond Green, and Butler are both 35. Figuring out who to surround them with to maximize what's left of their championship window will be essential. Top of the list is deciding what to do with Jonathan Kuminga. The 22-year-old did not see much floortime late in the season or during the first-round series against the Houston Rockets but took advantage of his opportunity when Curry went down, averaging 24.2 points per game over the last four contests. The Congolese forward is a restricted free agent, and given his potential, the Warriors will either have to match other team's offers that could be as high as $30 million per season or let him go. If they decide Kuminga isn't the right fit, the Warriors will either need to add a big star or younger role players who can share the scoring burden with Curry and Butler Kerr said he was optimistic about the team's future. "I'm excited. We've got obviously Jimmy and Dray and Steph all coming back," he said. "Our young players performed really well this year. There's a lot to look forward to."
