The Edmonton Oilers are moving on to the next round after a commanding performance against the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the playoffs.
They clinched the series with a tense 1-0 overtime win in Game 5 on Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, thanks to a clutch goal from Kasperi Kapanen. It marked their second straight shutout, with goaltender Stuart Skinner continuing to shine in net.
It’s been a long journey back, but the Oilers have once again reached the Western Conference Final — just one series win away from returning to the Stanley Cup Final.
Following their victory over Vegas, the NHL acknowledged their achievement on X, posting:
“OILERS ADVANCE! OILERS ADVANCE! 🟠🔵 The @EdmontonOilers are heading to their third Western Conference Final in four years. #StanleyCup”
In 2024, Edmonton made it to the Western Conference Final and defeated the Dallas Stars in six games before falling to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final.
A rematch of last year’s conference final could be on the horizon, as the Stars are just one win away from meeting the Oilers again in the 2025 third round. There’s also a chance of a Stanley Cup Final rematch with the Panthers, who remain in contention with Matthew Tkachuk leading the charge.
The Oilers are aiming to end a long championship drought — their last Stanley Cup title came in 1990, when Mark Messier led them past the Boston Bruins. A win this year would also break Canada’s 32-year Cup drought, with the Montreal Canadiens being the last Canadian team to win it all in 1993.
