The Edmonton Oilers punched their ticket to the 2024-25 Stanley Cup Final with a 6-3 win over the Dallas Stars in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final on Thursday. The win gave the Oilers a 4-1 series victory as they now advance to face the Florida Panthers in the championship round.
Zach Hyman was missing from the Oilers' series-clinching win after sustaining an upper-body injury in Game 4 from a collision with Mason Marchment. The injury sidelined him for Game 5.
After the Oilers' win, star forward Leon Draisaitl made sure to FaceTime Hyman from the locker room.
"Love you Hymo. Can't wait to see ya pal," Draisaitl said to Hyman over video chat.
Teammates Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Corey Perry also popped in on the call to share their well-wishes.
"Love ya" Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said.
"Love ya Hyms, love you buddy," Perry said.
Draisaitl then showed his phone around the locker room to show Hyman the rest of the celebrating Oilers.
The Oilers now look ahead to the Stanley Cup Finals against the Panthers in a rematch of last year's championship series. Florida edged out in Game 7 in the 2023-24 season.
The Stanley Cup Final will kick off Wednesday night in Edmonton with Game 1.
Leon Draisaitl on Oilers' 6-3 win against Dallas
The Stars got goals from Roope Hintz and a pair from Jason Robertson, while the Oilers saw six different players find the back of the net—Connor McDavid, Evander Kane, Corey Perry, Mattias Janmark, Kasperi Kapanen, and Jeff Skinner.
Stuart Skinner stopped 14 shots for Edmonton, with Casey DeSmith making 17 saves in relief for Dallas after pulling Jake Oettinger for allowing the first two goals.
“We knew we were going to need everybody," Leon Draisaitl said. "Both goalies have given us a chance every night and our depth has been incredible. We’ve been playing good hockey, good solid hockey, throughout the lineup and you need that this time of year.”
Draisaitl said that McDavid’s goal was one of the best he’s ever seen from him, highlighting the perfect timing, the pressure he faced, and how smoothly it all came together. He added that only McDavid could pull that off in such a moment and that the team is fortunate to have him.
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