Edmonton Oilers’ physics game could make the stars fall – Hockey writer – Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers appear to be picking up the script from the 2024 Stanley Cup finals by Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice, when the Panthers hit everything and ended up wearing nothing in Game 7.

In the first game against the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Finals, this philosophy seemed to work for two periods with the Oilers until all hell collapsed, and they lost the plot in the third stage of a 6-3 loss. I think the stars will go all out and try to get it briefly, and they can do that with the Oilers who still love playing Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, even in the playoffs. You just never know what will appear in the Oilers team. If they were lucky enough to play in Dallas in the second game on May 23, and even won two games at home on May 25 and May 27, I believe they could end up wearing the stars and winning the series. But the keyword is “if”.

Oiler plays a body game of punishment forward

When I saw forwards like Zach Hyman, Evander Kane and Corey Perry hit every move player, especially the Stars’ defense, I wondered if this strategy would pay off for the Oilers. I doubt this is a short series that favors the stars, but if the Oilers can tie the series up, I can see this strategy paying off for Edmonton. Hyman is the perfect example of a player who saves his energy from the regular season and keeps everything hanging out during the playoffs.

His average singles average shooting percentage has increased from 0.75 in the regular season to 7.09 in the playoffs, and Heyman and his teammates have certainly suffered huge losses to both teams in games against the Los Angeles Kings and the Las Vegas Golden Cavaliers. The Oilers will stay physically, but they must play disciplined and stay away from the free throw box because as the stars proved in Game 1, their power play is deadly.

Hockey Wins Championship

I watched the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2025 and I noticed again that the teams playing hockey were in the top spot. The Panthers are a great example because their intimidation style won the Stanley Cup victory in the spring of 2025. I believe the Oilers learned valuable lessons from the Panthers in the 2024 Stanley Cup final, playing the body and energy from the Panthers’ games. When the Panthers won Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final in 2024, the Oilers were a tired and shabby team. In 2025, the Oilers look like another team, and if they can make it to the Stanley Cup final, they may have a great chance to win all – but they have to take care of the business with a team of fighting stars who have also been tested for battle and have revenge against the six-game Oilers in the 2024 Western Conference Finals.

The current oiler/star almost feels like a time race against the oiler team. If the Oilers can maintain discipline, keep their focus and play physically, they may be able to tie the series up. If that is not the case, the stars may make the Oilers do short work and leave a lot of big question marks in the offseason.

The adjustments between the two head coaches will be interesting

I really like watching games in the game, especially when it comes to coaches making the right adjustments with their team. The two head coaches of the series, Kris Knoblauch and Pete Deboer, are smart, savvy and well-developed for their respective teams. Even though the stars seem to rely heavily on four defensive players in Game 1, I hope Deboer spreads ice time to his third pair of D-Men. If he doesn’t, that could be a big mistake, especially if the Oilers somehow open the series.

Related: Oil Man and the Stars: 3 Critical Differences from the 2024 Series

Meanwhile, Knoblauch made some smart moves with his team in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs and it would be fun to see what adjustments he made. I can’t see Knoblauch, and the change of the oilers is their physical approach to the game. I think this style of play is key if they want to win everything. But they have to play disciplined hockey. If they don’t, I think the stars have a good chance to move forward. We will see which oil troopers appear in the rest of this series.