The Edmonton Oilers are visiting the Dallas Stars for a massive Game 5 in the Western Conference Final with their series tied 2-2. Before the action begins, let’s take a look at some stats, facts, and notes for the game.
Related: Projected Lineups for Oilers vs Stars – Game 5
In the last five days of postseason hockey, there has been a comeback. This is the longest streak in the Conference Final in the history of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
A scenario that was present in the Florida Panthers versus New York Rangers Eastern Conference Final series, the winner of Game 5 in a 2-2 best-of-seven playoff series has won the series 231 out of the 293 times, good for a 78.8 percent rate. When that is restricted to the round before the Stanley Cup Final, 50 of 65 winners (76.9 percent) of Game 5 have gone on to win the series.
With still plenty of hockey left to go, one more comeback victory will set the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at 40 total. In NHL history, there have only been six playoff seasons to feature that many: 1987, 1991, 1999, 2010, and 2020 most recently.
The Oilers-Stars series has had multi-goal comeback victories in each of its last two contests, being a Stars win in Game 3 and an Oilers win in Game 4. In the history of the NHL, only the Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks in a 1992 series have accomplished back-to-back multi-goal comebacks in the Conference Final.
Honing in on this series a bit more, the Oilers haven’t allowed a power-play goal since Game 3 of their second-round series against the Vancouver Canucks. If they can have a perfect night on the penalty kill once again, they’d join the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, and Ottawa Senators as the only teams to ever complete nine or more postseason games without allowing a power-play tally.
Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid each have 103 playoff points in 65 postseason contests, making them some of the best playoff performers in the history of the NHL. If they can both register a point at least once more, they’d officially pass assistant coach Paul Coffey (103 points in 94 games) on Edmonton’s all-time playoff points list.
With four games this postseason of three or more assists, McDavid can tie Wayne Gretzky for the second-most times doing so in a single playoff if he can do this once more. McDavid has accomplished this feat in every single round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Related: 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Conference Finals Hub
39-year-old forward Joe Pavelski is projected to play in the 200th postseason game of his career tonight. Only 24 players in NHL history have done so, one of which being former teammate Corey Perry (207 games) who is playing in this series, too. Pavelski, who has yet to win a Stanley Cup, can join Ray Bourque as the only player in history to go at least 200 playoff games without a Stanley Cup victory in that span — the latter played 214 before capturing his first.
In this series, Dallas captain Jamie Benn has seven points and multi-point nights in his last three contests. With another such game, he can tie the Stars’ franchise record for the most ever — only Mike Modano, Dennis Maruk, and Steve Payne have ever done this with either the Minnesota North Stars or Dallas themselves. The last player for any team to have four Conference Final games in a row of multiple points was Mario Lemiux back in 1991.
Stats and facts courtesy of NHL PR
