The Stars began Game 2 on Friday with a starting five of Mikko Rantanen, Roope Hintz, Mikael Granlund, Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell, all of whom are Finnish-born players. According to the Stars’ social media account, it’s the first time since the NHL began tracking starters that a team put out five Finns to begin a game.

The Edmonton Oilers could be making a change up front ahead of a pivotal Game 2 in the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars.

Calvin Pickard, a career backup (when not playing in the minors) has more minutes in net than Edmonton’s No. 1 goaltender (Stuart Skinner). The gap could’ve been larger, but Pickard’s injury guaranteed recent starts for Skinner.

Defenseman Alexander Petrovic and forward Colin Blackwell enter the lineup for the Dallas Stars in Game 2 vs. the Edmonton Oilers.

The Edmonton Oilers' championship hopes continue to be plagued by the same struggles. Inconsistent goaltending and a lack of scoring depth were the two biggest

Ekholm has preached, almost from the time he arrived via trade from Nashville in February 2023, that the Oilers need to be more comfortable playing in their own zone and withstanding opponents’ offensive pressure. The Golden Knights had a couple of sustained stints in the Oilers’ end in Game 5; the Oilers essentially gave up nothing.

Connor McDavid makes a strong statement about the Oilers' resolve after their loss vs. Stars in Game 1 of Western Conference Finals

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