Oilers’ X-factor vs. Stars, and it isn’t Connor McDavid

The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs began with four Canadian National Hockey League teams qualifying for the annual tournament. As the Western Conference Final commence, the only one that remains is the Edmonton Oilers. This marks the Oilers’ second trip to Round 3 since 2022, and they are aiming for a longer run when taking on the Dallas Stars than the sweep they endured at the hands of the eventual Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in 2022.

The Central-division champion Stars dispatched the Vegas Golden Knights and Avalanche in Rounds 1 and 2, respectively.

The Oilers are now just four wins away from qualifying for their first Stanley Cup Final since their legendary Cinderella run in 2006, where they narrowly lost to the Carolina Hurricanes. The only true “star” on that 2006 Oilers team was defenseman Chris Pronger. Still, they also received significant contributions from role players like Fernando Pisani, Jarrett Stoll, Ales Hemsky, and Sergei Samsonov. Up front, they were led by the heart and soul forward Ryan Smyth, while veteran Dwayne Roloson stood strong between the pipes until his untimely injury.

However, this version of the Oilers features no shortage of star power, as they boast two of hockey’s best players in forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Who will be the X-factor for the Oilers against the Stars?

How did the Oilers arrive at this point? 

As in the previous two seasons, the Oilers advanced to Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by defeating the Los Angeles Kings in the opening round. This time, it was a relatively quick five-game series, compared to the seven and six games it took in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

This set up an all-Canadian matchup in Round 2, as the Oilers found themselves matched up against the Vancouver Canucks in a postseason series for the first time since 1992. In a thrilling clash that went the distance, the Oilers overcame a 3-2 series deficit to emerge victorious in the deciding Game 7 at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena earlier this week.

Many will point out that perhaps Edmonton had an advantage given that they didn’t have to face Vancouver’s top-notch starting netminder in Thatcher Demko, along with the fact that leading goal scorer Brock Boeser was lost for Game 7 due to a blood-clotting issue. However, injury woes are part of the game, and unfortunately for Vancouver, the schedule didn’t pause to allow them to return to full strength.

Meanwhile, the Stars earned revenge on the Golden Knights for last year’s Western Conference Final loss by eliminating them in a thrilling seven-game series in Round 1. They then faced the Colorado Avalanche, defeating them in six games thanks to former Colorado forward Matt Duchene’s series-winning OT goal in Game 6.

Zach Hyman the Oilers’ X-factor against the Stars