For the second straight year, the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars will meet in the Conference Final. Both teams look slightly different on paper compared to last year. The Stars are prepared to bounce back against the Oilers after they blew a 2–1 series lead in the previous matchup.

Let’s look at some key players who could make a real impact for the Stars in this playoff rematch.

The newest addition, Mikko Rantanen

The first player that the Oilers must shut down is forward Mikko Rantanen. He has had an interesting season, having played for multiple teams. Rantanen has played for the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, and Team Finland at the 4 Nations Face-off. Being a part of four different teams in one season has certainly not affected his skills, especially in the playoffs.

Rantanen currently leads the entire NHL playoffs in points with 19 in 13 games. He has become the new driving force of the Dallas Stars and was a major factor in helping them win the first few rounds. The Stars already had the star power of Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, and Miro Heiskanen on their team. Rantanen provides an extra boost to the already loaded forward core.

What makes Rantanen so dangerous is his ability to show up in big moments and produce on the power play. The 28-year-old is currently tied for the playoff lead in power play points and is tied for second in game-winning goals. His outstanding performance in game seven against the Colorado Avalanche was arguably the only reason why the Stars won that game. It will be interesting to see how he can match up against Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Jake Oettinger holding it down between the pipes

The next key player the Oilers must shut down early is goaltender Jake Oettinger. He has been phenomenal in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, posting a 0.919 save percentage along with a 2.47 goals against average. If the Oilers want to win this series, they must score on him early and diminish his confidence. Last year’s playoff series provides an example of that.

Oettinger was great in the first few games against the Oilers in last year’s Western Conference Final, until things went bad in Game 3. After letting in three goals in that game, things went downhill for Oettinger and the Stars, who lost the next three games. The 26-year-old goalie posted a save percentage lower than 0.900 in the final three games of the series. This was because the Oilers’ offence was simply too much to handle.

The Oilers must remember that Oettinger has had some of his best moments in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In 2022, he stood on his head against the Calgary Flames and nearly stole the series from them. That was arguably the best goaltending performance the NHL has ever seen in a playoff series. His worst save percentage in a game was 0.935. His recent performances against the Winnipeg Jets indicate that Oettinger is near the top of his game.

Thomas Harley stepping up

Defenceman Thomas Harley has become one of the most improved players this season. After Miro Heiskanen went down with a serious injury, Harley needed to step up big time in the second half of the season. He became the number one defenceman in Dallas and was able to rise to the occasion. He locked it down and has just as much offensive skill as Heiskanen. Harley’s brightest moment this season was stepping up to help Team Canada win the 4 Nations Face-off.

The playoff numbers for Harley have been nothing less than impressive. He is currently second in defenceman scoring, right behind none other than Evan Bouchard. However, once again, it is the power play of the Stars that sets them apart. Harley leads in defenceman power play points with six in the playoffs. His play certainly has not dropped since Heiskanen returned to action, as he went on to score the overtime series-winning goal against the Winnipeg Jets.

One argument that could be made about the Stars is that their overall defensive core is weak. Besides Heiskanen, Harley, and Esa Lindell, the remaining defenceman fall short of being great. Cody Ceci will get to play against his former team. Will we see some playoff magic from him again this year? Or was that only in Edmonton? The third pairing of Lian Bichsel and Ilya Lyubushkin will most likely get destroyed by the Oilers top-six forward core.

This series is set to begin on Wednesday in Dallas. It was recently reported that defenceman Mattias Ekholm is back at practice. If he returns at a later point in this series, it would provide a massive boost for the Oilers’ defensive core. Their best overall defenceman would be back, primed to make another push for the Stanley Cup. Who do you have winning this highly anticipated playoff series?

Up Next: What has and hasn’t changed since the last Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars playoff series

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