The Edmonton Oilers dispatched the Vegas Golden Knights in five games, following their 1-0 OT win last night. They are now waiting to see who they will face in the Western Conference Finals. They are waiting to see who will come out of the series between the Winnipeg Jets and the Dallas Stars. Right now, the Stars are leading the series 3-1 and have a chance to seal the series tonight as they are in Winnipeg for game 5.
For the Oilers, they now have no way to affect who they will play, but they can secretly cheer for one team or another. Though I don't think they really care which team they face, as a fan, I think there are a couple of pros and cons to each team. I am going to break down each major position of these teams, then you too can come up with your own opinion.
Defense
For the Dallas Stars, their blueline got better during this series as they got healthier. Miro Heiskanen, who was injured to start the playoffs, came back into the Stars lineup for game 4. Heiskanen is not only one of their best defenseman, but he is also a veteran who has seen a lot of things in this league. He made his presence felt in game 4 by getting one assist.
For the Winnipeg Jets, they have one of the better blueliners in the league with Josh Morrissey. Morrissy was one of the main pieces on Canada's 4 nations. He is a solid two-way defenseman who can shift the way the game is played and how it turns out if he is on his game.
After the top defenseman, the rest of the bluelines are pretty equal, This is why at the start of the series, the Jets controlled most of the games because Keiskanen was not in the lineup. Now that he is in the lineup, the tide appears to have shifted in the Stars' favour. Could that have been a one game boost? We will find out tonight.
Offense
When I was taking a look at which team had a better blueline, I had a hard time, then I got to the forwards, and it got even more difficult. Both of these teams have solid depth at forward, mixed with top-end talent. The Jets have Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele while the Stars have Mikko Rantanen and Jason Robertson. Then as you go deeper down the lineup they still are strong.
The depth of the team is also strong, they have a mix of toughness, skill and defensively minded players. In my opinion, the Stars do have a slight edge here, and it has shown itself through this series, which is why I think the Stars have 2 two-game lead over the Jets. If the Jets' depth can pick it up, then I may change my mind, but right now I am giving the edge to the Stars upfront.
Goaltending
This is one that before the playoffs would have been heavy in favor of Connor Hellebuyck and the Winnipeg Jets, but playoff Hellebuyck just is not playing nearly as well as his regualr season self, becuase of this he has been pulled out of games and still hasn't won a game on the road all post season.
While Jake Oettinger has not had to steal this series, he has been solid when called upon. His numbers have been good, and in the one loss in the Stars had it was in no way to be blamed on him. I think the reason Hellebuyk has struggled is because he played too many games in the regular season and is now getting tired. It could also be the fact that he struggles in big games, I mean, he lost at the 4 nations as well...
For me, if I had to choose, I think I would rather play the Winnipeg Jets, although it is tough, because as proven in the NHL bubble, the Jets can beat the Stars, but right now, the way the Stars are playing, they look like a scary team to play. Not to forget to mention that they will be coming back with vengeance, as the Oilers were able to beat them last year in the Conference Finals as well. I guess that shouldn't scare me, though, cause I mean, how many times have the Oilers beaten the Kings in a row now?