Goalie Oettinger is pulled by the Stars after the Oilers score on the first two shots of their 6-3 victory in the West final.
The 2025 Western Conference Final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Dallas Stars took another dramatic turn in Game 5 when the Oilers surged to a dominant 6-3 victory, capitalizing early and forcing a pivotal goaltending decision from Dallas head coach Pete DeBoer. Within moments of puck drop, the tone of the evening was unmistakably set. The Oilers, bolstered by their superstar firepower and offensive precision, found the back of the net on their first two shots, prompting the Stars to pull their starting goalie Jake Oettinger just minutes into the opening frame. It was a stunning development in a series that had been tightly contested, and it underscored just how quickly the Oilers can tilt the ice when their top players are firing on all cylinders.
Oettinger, widely regarded as one of the league’s most reliable and poised young netminders, found himself at the center of the spotlight—but not in the way he or the Stars envisioned. With expectations running high and the series deadlocked, Dallas was hoping to ride a strong home performance to reclaim control. Instead, they were left scrambling almost immediately. The first goal came after a clean faceoff win by Connor McDavid, who slipped the puck back to Evan Bouchard. The defenseman faked a shot, creating just enough space to slide it to Leon Draisaitl, who quickly relayed it to Zach Hyman parked at the top of the crease. Hyman’s redirection left Oettinger with no chance, and just like that, Edmonton had the lead. The Stars hadn’t even registered a shot on Stuart Skinner before the Oilers had cracked the scoreboard.
Less than two minutes later, the second goal came. This time, it was a solo effort by McDavid, who picked up the puck in his own zone, weaved through the neutral ice with his characteristic blazing speed, and cut inside a pair of Dallas defenders. He didn’t even need to deke once he reached Oettinger’s crease—he simply tucked the puck through the goaltender’s five-hole while falling to the ice. The building fell silent, save for the contingent of Oilers fans roaring in disbelief. Oettinger, who had been pulled in only a handful of games all season, looked to the bench as DeBoer made the swift decision to replace him with backup Scott Wedgewood.
It was a decision born of necessity and desperation, as Dallas had to find a way to stop the bleeding. But the early damage had already shaken the Stars. A team that prided itself on structure, discipline, and stout goaltending now found itself playing catch-up against an Oilers team that thrives when given open ice and momentum. Wedgewood came in and made some early saves to try and stabilize the situation, but the Oilers were relentless. Their forecheck was aggressive, their neutral zone transition was crisp, and their stars were playing with the confidence of a team that could smell blood in the water.
By the midpoint of the first period, Edmonton had already stretched its lead to three goals. The third tally came from Draisaitl, who sniped a wicked wrist shot over Wedgewood’s shoulder after a gorgeous feed from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Dallas responded with a brief pushback, getting on the board late in the period with a power play goal from Jason Robertson. It seemed like the Stars might mount a comeback, especially with their fans urging them on, but the momentum would be short-lived. The Oilers, rather than sitting back, pressed even harder.
In the second period, Edmonton continued to impose their will. A power play opportunity gave them their fourth goal of the night—this one from McDavid again, who danced through the slot, waited out the defenders, and roofed a backhander that stunned Wedgewood. The Oilers’ bench erupted, and McDavid’s grin said it all: this was the version of the Oilers the league feared, the one with its top line buzzing, its defensemen joining the rush, and its goaltending holding strong at the other end.
Stuart Skinner, meanwhile, was quietly turning in one of his most composed performances of the postseason. While not tested often in the opening frame, he came up big in the second period when the Stars started to find a bit more rhythm offensively. Robertson and Roope Hintz both had point-blank chances turned away by Skinner, who stayed square and calm in his crease. His rebound control was tight, his angles crisp, and his poise contagious to the rest of the team.
Dallas did find a second goal midway through the second on a broken play that ended with Jamie Benn knocking home a rebound in tight. But just as they seemed to be inching back into the contest, Edmonton struck again. A long-range shot from Bouchard deflected off a Dallas stick and skipped past Wedgewood, restoring the three-goal cushion and effectively silencing the crowd. The Stars were rattled. Their breakout was choppy, their passes a step behind, and their defensive gaps too wide for a team facing such elite opponents.
As the third period began, the message from the Stars’ bench was clear: stay aggressive, take chances. But the Oilers were ready. They clogged the neutral zone, forced turnovers, and continued to pepper the Dallas net with high-danger chances. Hyman added his second of the night after a brilliant passing sequence from McDavid and Draisaitl, and the score ballooned to 6-2. By then, Oettinger’s early exit was a distant memory, but its symbolism lingered. The decision to pull him had sent shockwaves through the team—this wasn’t just about poor execution, it was about being thoroughly outmatched in every facet of the game.
Dallas managed one more goal late in the third, a power play marker from Miro Heiskanen that barely dented the Oilers’ resolve. The remaining minutes played out with Edmonton controlling the puck, grinding down the clock, and celebrating each cleared puck like a game-winner. When the final horn sounded, the Oilers bench poured onto the ice with subdued, businesslike celebration. They knew the job wasn’t finished, but they had taken a commanding 3-2 series lead with an emphatic statement win on the road.
The implications of the game ran deeper than the scoreboard. For Dallas, the questions started piling up. Was Oettinger rattled beyond repair? Would DeBoer return to him in Game 6, or was a goalie controversy now unfolding at the worst possible time? For a team that had leaned on Oettinger so heavily through the season and into the playoffs, the sight of him being pulled so early was jarring. The Stars will point to their defensive lapses and their inability to slow Edmonton’s transition game, but there’s no denying that when your starter allows two goals on two shots, the ripple effects touch every part of the bench.
For Edmonton, the performance validated their offensive firepower and their ability to execute under pressure. The top line was dominant, their defense was opportunistic, and Skinner delivered a bounce-back effort that fortified belief throughout the locker room. More importantly, they had delivered a knockout punch on enemy ice, reclaiming momentum and pushing the Stars to the brink of elimination. With Game 6 set to return to Edmonton, the Oilers now stand one win away from their first Stanley Cup Final appearance in nearly two decades.
The locker room after the game told two starkly different stories. In the Oilers room, smiles came easily, but the message was focused. “One more,” McDavid reportedly said. “We’ve got one more to go.” Draisaitl echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that while the win was satisfying, the mission was far from over. Meanwhile, the mood in the Stars room was subdued. Oettinger sat at his stall for several minutes, pads still on, head down. When he did speak, he shouldered the blame but vowed to be better. “It’s on me,” he said. “I’ve got to give us a better start. I will.”
Game 6 looms large. The Oilers will have a raucous crowd behind them and the confidence of a team that just dismantled its opponent in the most crucial game of the series. The Stars, battered and reeling, must regroup quickly. Whether Oettinger returns to the crease or Wedgewood gets the nod again, Dallas faces a daunting task: slowing down a juggernaut that appears to be peaking at exactly the right time.
There’s no overstating what the Oilers accomplished in Game 5. They didn’t just win—they dominated. They seized control, sent a message, and dismantled the composure of a team that had prided itself on its resilience. When you score on your first two shots of a playoff game and force the opposing starter out of the net within five minutes, that’s not just execution—it’s intimidation. Edmonton knows it. Dallas knows it. And heading into Game 6, the balance of power has shifted firmly in favor of the Oilers.
