The Edmonton Oilers won the crucial fifth game of the Western Conference finals to bring the Dallas Stars to the brink of elimination.
The Stars only managed ten shots in the first two periods of the 3-1 loss. While some certainly praised the Oilers' execution in the game, one reporter suggested the Stars looked “lifeless” in the second period.
All-Star coach Peter DeBoer disagreed with the characterization.
“You can sit here and question our character if you want. You know what? I'm not going to. Go ahead and write whatever you want,” DeBoer responded.
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Dallas Stars head coach Pete DeBoer addresses the media after Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Edmonton Oilers on May 31, 2024, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. (Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
DeBoer acknowledged that the Oilers showed the ability to put together “a perfect road game,” which contributed to the Stars' closeout.
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“If you're going to tie a game away from home, that's pretty much what you want to do, right?” DeBoer said. “They want to go out, score two power play goals early in the game, take the lead and then defend well all night. So it's hard to do that.”
Dallas averaged 3.59 goals per game during the regular season, but its scoring has declined in its three conference finals losses. The Stars failed to score more than two goals in any of their three series losses.
Head coach Pete DeBoer of the Dallas Stars during the third period against the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the American Airlines Center on May 31, 2024 in Dallas . (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Oilers star Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said his team made a concerted effort defensively to “not give” Dallas “anything easy.”
Dallas Stars players play the puck in front of Edmonton Oilers players in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the American Airlines Center on May 31, 2024 in Dallas. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
“It all starts with getting through the neutral zone, not turning pucks over and not giving them anything easy to attack us with,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “Sometimes you have to live to fight another day. You don't need to be too aggressive.”
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The series returns to Edmonton with Game 6 scheduled for Sunday night.
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