The Edmonton Oilers will lead 2-1 in the 2025 Western Conference Finals when they hosted Game 3 of the Seven Stanley Cup playoffs on Sunday, May 25 at Rogers Place.
After losing Game 1 6-3, Edmonton beat Dallas 3-0 in Game 2 at the American Airlines Center on Friday (May 23) and earned a textbook playoff performance.
Edmonton’s victory was a template for beating Dallas on the way. Now, can oil workers copy at home? Here are the 3 keys to win Game 3.
Oil man must Control things
What’s the difference now since the playoffs, when the first round series between Edmonton and the Los Angeles Kings could be summed up in almost three words: “The last goal win.”
Despite allowing 24 goals, the most they have surrendered in a playoff series since 1989, the Oilers still managed to outperform Los Angeles, with 27 goals to eliminate the six-game Kings.
The series is a blast to watch, but the style of the game is not conducive to the long playoffs. If Edmonton is going to return to the Stanley Cup finals, they will need to give a lot of money, and they have done it.
Related: 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Conference Center
Edmonton has better defense as a team, thanks to its blue light agent and forward efforts. The oilers play sound hockey in structure, reducing their mistakes and limiting the opposition’s power to play opportunities.
As a result, the Oilers’ final three wins were all closed: They beat the Las Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 and 1-0 in Games 4 and 5 of the 2nd round, and then before defeating Dallas on Friday. Goalkeeper Stuart Skinner shows that he can win Edmonton when he is not dry by his teammates. He has allowed only five goals in the last four games, four of which were against Dallas in the third quarter of Game 1, when the Oilers briefly collapsed, damaging their performance at the start of the 1st round.
A 3-0 game may not be as exciting as a 6-5 game. But if the former is a victory and the latter is a loss, then Oilers fans will be happy to accept the low score business.
Oily people can Keep yourself at home
The atmosphere in the arena during the Edmonton Stanley Cup playoffs is legendary. However, home ice has not always proven to be beneficial to oil workers for years.
Entering the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Oilers only had one home record of over .500 in the first 12 playoffs, while in the era of Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, the home team in the playoffs was only 11-13.
But last year changed, when the Oilers 8-4 at Rodgers Plaza in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals and continued this spring as Edmonton won four of the first five home games in the 2025 NHL playoffs. The Oilers were 8-2 in their last 10 playoff games at home.
Aside from the obvious factors like familiar environments and crowd support, making the change in the last row may be an important factor for the Oilers as they hope to get a favorable showdown between Draisaitl and McDavid.
Oil people need it Big gun game
Speaking of dynamic duo, Draisaitl and McDavid are still not producing at normal heights. The two scored a total of nine goals in 13 games in the playoffs, with an average of 0.69 goals per game. In the 2024-25 season (0.73), this is only averaged by Draisaitl alone.
But that didn’t end with Draisaitl and McDavid. First-line winger Zach Hyman scored 16 times in 25 playoffs last year and 11 times in 16 games in the 2022 playoffs, and so far he has only three goals in the playoffs.
Still, Edmonton is on a hot winning streak, 9-2 since throwing the first two playoff games to Los Angeles in the first round. The Oilers support cast provided most of the score, but now is the time to get the big gun out, and what better time than Sunday afternoon? The hockey will drop shortly after 1pm.
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