How the Stars can crush the Oilers in Western Conference final rematch

The Dallas Stars are looking for their revenge in the Western Conference Final against the Edmonton Oilers, after losing to them in six games in 2024.

With the combination of Mikko Rantanen, Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnson, and others up front, and having regularly dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen, head coach Pete DeBoer’s team could even dominate the Oilers. 

On Wednesday’s episode of Daily Faceoff Live, Tyler Yaremchuk and Colby Cohen broke down how the Stars could crush the Oilers and get their revenge from last season. 

Yaremchuk:  Let’s begin this thing by looking at the Dallas Stars’ perspective. They’re looking for a little Texas-size revenge on the Edmonton Oilers after losing last year in six games, and Pete DeBoer talked a little bit about the different look that his team has this year. 

He talked specifically about having the difference maker in Mikko Rantanen and said that with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers have two guys that can create something out of nothing and that it’s nice to have a guy like that now. 

Mikko Rantanen should be a big difference-maker if Dallas is going to win. 

Cohen: We also saw what happens when you look too much at Mikko Rantanen, there’s this guy named Mikael Granlund who can go down and hurt you in a lot of different ways. 

I think it’s an opportunity for Roope Hintz to have a little coming-out party here in the Western Conference Finals, but you look at the way Rantanen has played in the playoffs, he’s the obvious difference-maker. 

How about how Thomas Harley has really gone to another level since the 4 Nations?  I don’t think the Edmonton Oilers saw a guy in Harley that was quite this good last year. I think Jake Oettinger has been better in the playoffs this year as well. I don’t think he’s had those leaky, off-night moments like we’ve seen in the previous years. 

I think if there’s any team good enough to knock off Edmonton, because Edmonton has just played the best hockey now for a number of games in a row, it would be Dallas.

You can catch the rest of the Western Conference preview and Wednesday’s show here…