Dallas Stars vs Edmonton Oilers Picks and Predictions May 23rd 2025

Oilers Aim to Bounce Back After Brutal Collapse Against Stars

The Edmonton Oilers head into Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals facing a simple but urgent truth: adapt or fall further behind. After coughing up a two-goal lead in a stunning third-period collapse against the Dallas Stars in Game 1, the Oilers must regroup quickly if they hope to even the series before it shifts to Edmonton.

A Special Teams Breakdown That Cost the Game

Leading 3-1 entering the third period, the Oilers seemed poised to steal home-ice advantage. But the Stars exploded for five unanswered goals — three of them on the power play — turning a deficit into a dominant 6-3 win.

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“The game got away from us through the kill and then our power play, when you have a chance to tie it, wasn’t much better.”
— Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers

The numbers are hard to ignore. Edmonton has allowed 14 power-play goals in 12 playoff games, a glaring weakness for a team built to contend. Though some of that damage came early in the postseason, their penalty-kill inefficiency resurfaced at the worst possible time.

Meanwhile, Dallas is setting the standard with 15 power-play goals this postseason — more than any other team.

“We struggled (on the penalty kill) to start the season and found it again. We know we can get back there.”
— Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton Oilers

Confidence Still Intact for Edmonton

Despite the meltdown, the Oilers aren’t panicking. Their recent playoff history offers hope: they’ve won nine series since 2017, and trailed at some point in seven of those. Captain Connor McDavid is urging the team to stay the course, pointing to the positives they saw in Game 1.

“We’ve been really good in high-pressure situations. Game 2 can be one of those. We’ve got to find a way to get a win.”
— Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers know what’s at stake and have a proven record of responding under pressure. Their top stars will need to lead by example, but they also must get more disciplined and effective in key special teams moments.

For those tracking NHL picks and playoff predictions, Edmonton’s resilience has often made them a valuable bounce-back bet — but they’ll need to show immediate improvement to stay competitive in this series.

Stars Stay Steady, Keep the Pressure On

On the flip side, the Stars showed exactly why this is their third straight trip to the Western Conference Finals. Calm under pressure and driven by veteran leadership, Dallas once again proved its ability to rally from behind — something they’ve done six times already in these playoffs.

“With the last couple runs we’ve been on, we’re a veteran team with a lot of experience. … There’s a lot of belief in that room.”
— Mason Marchment, Dallas Stars

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Coach Pete DeBoer underlined the importance of special teams, recalling how the Oilers beat them last year largely due to superior play in that area. This year, it’s the Stars who seem to have the edge.

“It might be oversimplifying it, but Edmonton beat us out last year because their special teams were better than ours. … When you’re feeling good about those parts of a game, you’re never out.”
— Pete DeBoer, Dallas Stars

Now up 1-0, Dallas will look to press that advantage and take a commanding 2-0 lead before heading to Edmonton.