Stars vs. Oilers scores, schedule: Edmonton’s power play pushes Dallas to brink of elimination with Game 5 win

The Edmonton Oilers went into Dallas and silenced the Stars for a 3-1 win in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final. Now, the Oilers will head home with a chance to clinch their spot in the Stanley Cup Final on Sunday.

Coming into Game 5, neither team had scored a power play goal in the series, but the Oilers’ changed that in a major way on Friday night. In the first period, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins cashed in on a net front rebound to open the scoring on the man advantage.

Nugent-Hopkins struck again on the power play in the second period. That time, Edmonton caught Dallas napping in transition, and Nugent-Hopkins ripped a seed past Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger off the rush.

Less than four minutes later, the Oilers won an offensive zone draw, and defenseman Philip Brober fired a bomb from the point. The shot found its way through traffic, and it beat Oettinger for Broberg’s first playoff goal and a 3-0 Edmonton lead.

That was more than enough for the Oilers to win Game 5 because their team defense was simply stifling. The Stars had just 10 shots on goal through two periods, and they really only generated sustained offensive pressure late in the third when they were desperate to create any kind of offense.

Wyatt Johnston got his 10th goal of the postseason to make the score look a little more respectable for Dallas, but this was an anemic effort from the Stars in a pivotal Game 5 matchup.

As the series shifts back to Edmonton for Game 6, the Oilers are eyeing their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 2006.