The Edmonton Oilers host the Dallas Stars in game three of the third round of the NHL Playoffs with the series tied 1-1

The Edmonton Oilers are in a fight against the dangerous Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final of the 2025 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. If they are to come through with a series victory versus the Stars, they would need Connor McDavid to be at the top of his game.

Calvin Pickard, a career backup (when not playing in the minors) has more minutes in net than Edmonton’s No. 1 goaltender (Stuart Skinner). The gap could’ve been larger, but Pickard’s injury guaranteed recent starts for Skinner.

The post-game news conferences, and the fan hulabaloo that surrounds them, is just a sign of how much the Oilers mean to Edmontonians. And it’s also a sign of why there’s so much pressure on the shoulders of the players who wear the blue and orange.

Thursday night marked the 41st playoff appearance of Skinner’s playoff career, and his rough start now has him tied with Kelly Hrudey for the 11th worst SV% all time (.891) amongst goalies who have logged 40 or more postseason games.

Ekholm has preached, almost from the time he arrived via trade from Nashville in February 2023, that the Oilers need to be more comfortable playing in their own zone and withstanding opponents’ offensive pressure. The Golden Knights had a couple of sustained stints in the Oilers’ end in Game 5; the Oilers essentially gave up nothing.

The Florida Panthers battled in a seven-game series with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round, but its been shear dominance so far against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Edmonton Oilers put in a very good first 40 minutes in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final, but the PK let them down.