The Dallas Stars have been close to the NHL's mountaintop over the past two seasons. The Western Conference Final has previously been as far as this current group has gotten, but there's plenty of reason for optimism as Dallas attempts to clinch its first Stanley Cup Final berth since 2020.

Going into this season, only four teams had gone to three straight conference finals, and all four won it all at least once. Three — Tampa Bay, Chicago and Los Angeles — won two. The Stars are just trying to make the Final for the first time under Pete DeBoer. Feels like a tipping point. Stars in 7 games.

Forwards Jason Robertson (four goals, two assists) and Roope Hintz (one goal, five assists) led the Stars against the Oilers with six points each, including a hat trick by Robertson in a 4-3 win in Edmonton on March 26. Jake Oettinger was 2-1-0 with a 3.04 GAA and a .912 save percentage.