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Connor McDavid, Oilers Celebrated By NHL Fans for Taking WCF Series Lead vs. Stars

Jun 1, 2024
DALLAS, TEXAS - MAY 31: Philip Broberg #86 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Dallas Stars during the second period in Game Five of the Western Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center on May 31, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TEXAS - MAY 31: Philip Broberg #86 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Dallas Stars during the second period in Game Five of the Western Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center on May 31, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)

The Edmonton Oilers are one win away from the first Stanley Cup Final of the Connor McDavid era.

The Oilers defeated the Dallas Stars 3-1 on the road Friday night to take a 3-2 Western Conference Finals lead.

Edmonton was first on the board thanks to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who scored the first two power-play goals of the series in the first and second period:

Nugent-Hopkins' best performance of the playoffs came after Leon Draisaitl praised him before the game.

"Have you guys ever seen him make a mistake? I really haven't," Draisaitl said before the win, per NHL Network. "He's just such a smart, good hockey player, and I think he's probably the coach's favorite player in the world."

Nugent-Hopkins' Friday performance led fans to agree with Draisaitl's assessment:

Philip Broberg, who was placed on waivers in November and was skating in his second playoff game of the season, contributed to the Oilers' lead with the first playoff goal of his career.

The Stars struggled to get shots on goal early, but tested Edmonton goaltender Stuart Skinner with 10 shots in the third period.

Skinner made nine late saves to preserve the Oilers' lead.

McDavid meanwhile contributed a secondary assist and led the Oilers with three hits.

After the 5-2 Game 4 win that tied the series, the Oilers have now outplayed and outshot the Stars for significant portions of the last two games.

That's in large part because of their depth behind McDavid and Draisaitl:

The Stars, one of the best road teams in the NHL during the regular season, will now need one more win on enemy ice in order to extend their postseason.

The puck drops for Game 6 in Edmonton Sunday at 8 p.m. ET.

Connor McDavid, Oilers Beat Stars in WCF Game 4, Hyped By NHL Fans for Tying Series

May 30, 2024
EDMONTON, CANADA - MAY 29: Evan Bouchard #2 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates his first-period goal against the Dallas Stars with teammate Connor McDavid #97 in Game Four of the Western Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on May 29, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
EDMONTON, CANADA - MAY 29: Evan Bouchard #2 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates his first-period goal against the Dallas Stars with teammate Connor McDavid #97 in Game Four of the Western Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on May 29, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Dallas Stars came into Wednesday night's Game 4 with a 2-1 series lead in the Western Conference Final. Less than six minutes into the game, they held a 2-0 lead.

And then the Edmonton Oilers erupted.

The home team promptly rattled off five unanswered goals, winning 5-2 and evening the series at two games apiece.

Ryan McLeod and Evan Bouchard struck back in the second period, while Mattias Janmark and Leon Draisaitl gave the Oilers the lead for good.

Mattias Ekholm scored an empty-netter late in the third period to seal the deal.

Connor McDavid added two assists, bringing him up to 23 helpers during the Stanley Cup playoffs and 27 points total across 16 games. Turns out that McDavid fella is pretty good.

NHL fans and pundits gave him his flowers after the game, per usual, but in general the Oilers impressed the hockey world—and had it a little bit dizzy, quite frankly—with their resilient and explosive performance:

https://twitter.com/JeffVeillette/status/1796016941259235557

This series has been wild. Edmonton opened it with a double-overtime win in Game 1 and then dropped two straight contests to Dallas, which included blowing a 2-0 lead of its own in Game 3.

What goes around, comes around, apparently. The Oilers will take you on a whirlwind, up-and-down journey, but it's rarely boring. And now McDavid's crew is just two wins away from the Stanley Cup Final.

Given how this series has gone, don't be surprised if the Western Conference Final goes the distance, and in extremely dramatic fashion.

NHL Rumors: Dan Bylsma to Be Hired as Kraken HC; Won 2009 Stanley Cup with Penguins

May 27, 2024
GLENDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 26: Head coach Dan Bylsma of the Buffalo Sabres looks on during second period action against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena on February 26, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 26: Head coach Dan Bylsma of the Buffalo Sabres looks on during second period action against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena on February 26, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Seattle Kraken officially have a new bench boss.

Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff reported that the Kraken are set to introduce Dan Bylsma as the franchise's second-ever head coach during the team's scheduled press conference on Tuesday.

Bylsma has eight years of head coaching experience within the NHL, most notably with the Pittsburgh Penguins. His tenure lasted six seasons in Pittsburgh and he helped steer the franchise towards a Stanley Cup victory in 2008-09. He also served as the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres for two seasons.

In addition to his NHL head coaching experience, he also served as the head coach of Team USA at the 2014 Olympic Games. He currently serves as the head coach of the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the AHL affiliate of the Kraken. The Firebirds are notably still playing as the team has reached the Western Conference Finals of the Calder Cup playoffs.

His tenure as the head coach of the Penguins was very successful as he guided the franchise to a 252-117 overall record. Pittsburgh made the playoffs in every season he was behind the bench, although the team never reached the Stanley Cup Final again after that first season and only reached the Eastern Conference Finals one additional time.

Still, he won the Jack Adams Award as the best coach in the NHL in 2010-11 and was considered a hot commodity when the Sabres vacancy opened up. While his tenure with that franchise was not as successful, it could be labeled a trend as it was in the midst of the Sabres current 13-season playoff drought.

He will get a Kraken team that exceeded expectations in 2022-23 and reached the Western Conference Semifinals but underachieved in 2023-24 and finished with a 34-35-13 record.

It's also the youngest franchise in the league after beginning play in the 2021-22 season as an expansion team. Bylsma will be tasked in helping the development of young pieces like Matty Beniers and Shane Wright while also trying to help the team make strides within the Western Conference.

Oilers' Connor McDavid Electrifies NHL Fans with Goal in 2OT to Win Game 1 vs. Stars

May 24, 2024
DALLAS, TEXAS - MAY 23: Zach Hyman #18 celebrates with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins #93 of the Edmonton Oilers after Hyman's goal against the Dallas Stars during the second period in Game One of the Western Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center on May 23, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TEXAS - MAY 23: Zach Hyman #18 celebrates with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins #93 of the Edmonton Oilers after Hyman's goal against the Dallas Stars during the second period in Game One of the Western Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center on May 23, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

The Edmonton Oilers have a 1-0 lead in the Western Conference Final after besting the Dallas Stars 3-2 in a double-overtime thriller Thursday night thanks to Connor McDavid's game-winner.

The Oilers took a 1-0 lead after Leon Draisaitl scored in the second period, and Zach Hyman gave Edmonton some insurance shortly after. Dallas responded in the second to cut into the deficit after a goal from Tyler Seguin.

The Oilers held a 2-1 lead for much of the third period, but Seguin scored with less than four minutes to play to send it to overtime.

The Stars got a four-minute power play after McDavid was called for high-sticking, but Dallas couldn't capitalize despite having five shots on goal, including two shots that hit the post.

After neither team could win it in the first overtime, McDavid ended the game in the first minute of double OT.

https://twitter.com/Sean_Blevins1/status/1793859366669664760
https://twitter.com/DedSquid/status/1793859521502437400

McDavid had been quiet, going scoreless over the previous five games, but he delivered for his team to give Edmonton a crucial lead in the series.

After Thursday's marathon, the teams will face off in Game 2 in Dallas on Saturday. Both teams are looking to snap Stanley Cup Final droughts as the Stars haven't had an appearance since 1999, while the Oilers haven't been since 1990.

With both teams more than two decades removed from their last Stanley Cup Final appearance, the emotions will be high throughout the series.

Jim Hiller Named Kings HC; Led LA to 2024 NHL Playoffs as Interim HC

May 22, 2024
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 10: Los Angeles Kings Jim Hiller looks on from the bench during the second period against the Edmonton Oilers at Crypto.com Arena on February 10, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NHLI via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 10: Los Angeles Kings Jim Hiller looks on from the bench during the second period against the Edmonton Oilers at Crypto.com Arena on February 10, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Kings have hired Jim Hiller as head coach, the team announced Wednesday.

Hiller was promoted to the team's interim head coach on Feb. 2 following the firing of former head coach Todd McLellan. He had worked for the team as an assistant coach since 2022.

Hiller led the Kings to a 21-12-1 record and a playoff berth, where the team lost in five games to the Edmonton Oilers.

The Athletic's Eric Stephens and Pierre LeBrun reported that Hiller has signed a multiyear extension.

Kings general manager Rob Blake will meanwhile return to the Kings for the 2024-25 season.

As a player, Hiller skated in 40 games for the Kings during the 1992-93 season. He has previously served as a head coach in the BCHL and WHL.

He was drafted by the Kings in the 10th round of the 1989 draft, and last season became one of 18 NHL coaches to make their debut behind the bench with the same team that drafted them as a player, according to the team.

The Kings started out the season with a 20-7-4 record through Dec. 28, one of the best starts in franchise history, but fell into a rut in the New Year.

Los Angeles won just three of their next 17 games, a 3-8-6 rut that saw them slip into a Wild Card spot and led to McLellan's firing midway through his fifth season with the team.

After Hiller took over, the Kings leaned on power-play dominance to earn 43 of 68 possible points, ranking 10th among all NHL teams in points percentage and securing them a third consecutive playoff berth.

In the postseason, however, the results were the same. As in their last two playoff runs under McClellan, the Kings once again lost in the first round to the Oilers.

That pattern may need to change next season if Blake, who is heading into the final season of the three-year extension he signed in 2022, is going to keep his job past 2025.

That could potentially lead to changes in how Blake directs Hiller to coach the team. Hiller continued setting up neutral zone traps with the Kings' infamous 1-3-1 system this spring, but Blake said in May that the team would consider implementing a new style of play in 2024-25, Dan Greenspan reported for NHL.com.

Hiller will hold his first press conference as the Kings' permanent head coach on Thursday at 10 a.m. PT, per Kings reporter Russell Morgan.

Oilers Hold Off Canucks in Game 7 Win, Get Love from NHL Fans After Reaching WCF

May 21, 2024
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - MAY 20: Cody Ceci #5 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates with teammates after his goal during the second period in Game Seven of the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Arena on May 20, 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Photo by Derek Cain/Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - MAY 20: Cody Ceci #5 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates with teammates after his goal during the second period in Game Seven of the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Arena on May 20, 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Photo by Derek Cain/Getty Images)

The Edmonton Oilers are advancing to the Western Conference finals after holding off a late push to win Game 7 against the Vancouver Cunucks 3-2 Monday night.

The Oilers secured all three of their goals in the second period with the first coming from Cody Ceci. Zach Hyman then scored on a tip-in before Ryan Nugent-Hopkins put another through the net to give Edmonton a comfortable 3-0 lead heading into the final period.

With the insurance of three goals heading into the third, the Canucks two goals in the final period weren't enough.

After the win, fans praised Edmonton for advancing to its second conference finals in three years.

With the win on Monday, the Oilers will now advance to face the Dallas Stars with a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals on the line. The Stars moved on after beating the Colorado Avalanche in six games.

Edmonton is looking to earn its first trip to the Stanley Cup Finals since 2006 when it lost to the Carolina Hurricanes.

With a clearly high-powered offense, the Oilers seem capable of a big showing against the Stars, but a major point of emphasis will be on the defensive side of things as Dallas also boasts a strong offense. Edmonton's offense was enough to get the win on Monday, but it will need to step things up with the added intensity of the Western Conference finals.

Report: Canucks' Brock Boeser Out for Game 7 vs. Oilers with Blood-Clotting Issue

May 19, 2024
EDMONTON, CANADA - MAY 12: Brock Boeser of the Vancouver Canucks addresses the media after his team's victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game Three of the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on May 12, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
EDMONTON, CANADA - MAY 12: Brock Boeser of the Vancouver Canucks addresses the media after his team's victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game Three of the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on May 12, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)

Ahead of Monday's Game 7 against the Edmonton Oilers, the Vancouver Canucks reportedly suffered a major loss.

According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Canucks right winger and leading scorer in the playoffs Brock Boeser is expected to miss Monday's matchup due to "a blood-clotting issue." It was noted that this "is not considered a life-threatening situation" for Boeser, though a potential timeline for his return is "unknown."

Boeser leads Vancouver with seven goals and is tied with center J.T. Miller with a team-high 12 points through 12 playoff games. He led the team with a career-high 40 goals in the regular season while also adding 33 assists.

The 27-year-old played a key role in multiple postseason wins for the Canucks. He notched a hat trick in a 4-3 overtime win over the Nashville Predators in Game 4 of the first round. He recorded two goals and an assist in a 4-3 victory over the Oilers in Game 3. Unfortunately, he failed to find the back of the net in each of the last three games, and Vancouver lost two of those matchups to push the second-round series to seven games.

Boeser's absence leaves the Canucks thin on the wing. Ilya Mikheyev missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury. If he sits out again on Monday, Sam Lafferty and Conor Garland are likely to see more time on the ice in the win-or-go-home game.

Vancouver was on the receiving end of a 5-1 drubbing in Game 6, so the team will be seeking a better showing in front of its home fans when it takes the ice on Monday. It will be difficult without Boeser available, but Miller and company will surely be motivated to keep their season alive.

Connor McDavid, Oilers Excite NHL Fans with Dominant Win vs. Canucks to Force Game 7

May 19, 2024
EDMONTON, CANADA - MAY 18: Evan Bouchard #2 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates his second-period goal against the Vancouver Canucks with Connor McDavid #97 in Game Six of the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on May 18, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
EDMONTON, CANADA - MAY 18: Evan Bouchard #2 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates his second-period goal against the Vancouver Canucks with Connor McDavid #97 in Game Six of the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on May 18, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Vancouver Canucks had the chance to eliminate Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers from the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a Game 6 road win Saturday night.

The Oilers outshot, outscored and outplayed them instead.

Edmonton dominated in a 5-1 victory that tied the conference semifinals series at three games apiece, forcing a winner-takes-all Game 7 at Rogers Arena Monday night.

The score was tied at 1-1 when the Oilers left the ice for the first period break.

Edmonton controlled play almost from the moment the puck dropped to start the second.

Zach Hyman scored the deciding goal on a feed from McDavid seven minutes into the middle frame:

The tally made Hyman the sixth player in Oilers history to score 10 goals in one postseason.

The Oilers went on to tally four consecutive goals to close out the victory, with the fifth strike coming as fans belted out the lyrics to Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" from the stands:

Edmonton finished the night having outshot the Canucks 27-15 as both Oilers stars recorded multiple assists in the win.

McDavid registered helpers on three goals after he was held off the scoresheet in the Oilers' Game 5 loss.

https://twitter.com/GenoManager/status/1792028970210230629

Meanwhile Leon Draisaitl added two assists to reach 100 career playoff points in 60 postseason games.

Draisaitl follows Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux as the third-fastest player in NHL history to reach the postseason milestone.

Saturday's victory will allow McDavid, Draisaitl and the Oilers to continue fighting for a reteurn to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2022.

The winner of Game 7 will earn the chance to face the Dallas Stars in the third round. The puck drops in Vancouver at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Canucks Win Game 5 vs. Oilers as NHL Fans Hail J.T. Miller's Game-Winning Goal

May 17, 2024
VANCOUVER, CANADA - MAY 16: J.T. Miller #9 of the Vancouver Canucks and Darnell Nurse #25 of the Edmonton Oilers battle for the puck during the first period in Game Five of the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Arena on May 16, 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, CANADA - MAY 16: J.T. Miller #9 of the Vancouver Canucks and Darnell Nurse #25 of the Edmonton Oilers battle for the puck during the first period in Game Five of the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Arena on May 16, 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images)

J.T. Miller scored with just over 30 seconds remaining in regulation to put the Vancouver Canucks ahead in a critical Friday night Game 5.

Miller's last-minute tally sealed the Canucks' 3-2 win and put the Edmonton Oilers on the brink of elimination from the Western Conference semifinals.

The Canucks lead the series 3-2.

The game-winner represented redemption for Miller, who was on the ice when Evan Bouchard scored a similar last-minute goal to put the Oilers ahead in Game 4 with 38.1 seconds left on the clock.

Miller took the blame for that loss in a text to Rick Tocchet, the Canucks' head coach said after Game 4.

https://twitter.com/JDylanBurke/status/1791330126522909136

Miller scored on a rebound caused by Elias Pettersson's netfront presence, which was a factor throughout Friday night's game.

Canucks netminder Arturs Silovs meanwhile finished the night having turned aside 21 of 23 Oilers shots.

Silovs, who entered the postseason as Vancouver's third-string goaltender, was playing in just his 17th NHL game.

Edmonton stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl failed to score on a combined four shots.

McDavid, who was on the ice for Miller's game-winner, was held off the scoresheet all together for the second time in three games.

Miller, Pettersson, Silov and the rest of the Canucks will now get a chance to punch their ticket to the conference finals for the first time since 2011 with a win in Game 6 Saturday night. The puck will drop in Edmonton at 8 p.m. ET.

Evan Bouchard's Late Goal Wows NHL Fans as McDavid, Oilers Beat Canucks, Tie Series

May 15, 2024
EDMONTON, CANADA - MAY 12: Evan Bouchard #2 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates his third-period goal against the Vancouver Canucks with his teammates in Game Three of the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on May 12, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
EDMONTON, CANADA - MAY 12: Evan Bouchard #2 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates his third-period goal against the Vancouver Canucks with his teammates in Game Three of the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on May 12, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)

You won't see a much more dramatic finish than what the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers just authored in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Tuesday night.

The Canucks looked as though they had forced overtime after Brock Boeser scored with just a little over a minute remaining, leveling the game 2-2.

But Evan Bouchard's goal with just 39 seconds remaining provided Edmonton with a much-needed answer, giving the team a 3-2 win that leveled the series at two games apiece.

And NHL fans and pundits alike couldn't believe the drama they witnessed:

https://twitter.com/PhillerInstinct/status/1790598613162475683

It looked as though the Oilers were going to win this one comfortably, as Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had them out 2-0 heading into the third period.

Conor Garland halved the deficit in the third period before Boeser appeared to force overtime, only for the fireworks that followed.

It was a big night for goalie Calvin Pickard, who stopped 19 of the 21 shots he faced. For an Oilers team who had given up 12 goals in the first three games and made the change from Stuart Skinner to Pickard ahead of Game 4, it was a huge performance.

It was also a brave decision, as Pickard had never started a Stanley Cup Playoff game before Tuesday night.

Pickard, who came into the third period of Game 3 and stopped all three shots he faced, has seemed to stabilize the Oilers. And given the team's offensive superstars, led by Connor McDavid (one assist Tuesday), Edmonton doesn't need its goalie to be the second coming of Patrick Roy to win games.

On Tuesday night, he did just enough to keep the Oilers in position to steal a win. That was all the opening Bouchard needed to provide the heroics that followed.

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