The Edmonton Oilers are back in the Stanley Cup final.
The team completed a gentleman’s sweep, beating the Dallas Stars 6-3 in Game 5 of the Western Conference final.
Six different Oilers scored in the effort, fending off a late push from the Stars in the third period to blow the game open.
Thursday’s win cements a rematch of last year’s championship round, as the Florida Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final.
The Oilers were unable to complete a reverse sweep against Florida last year to win the Stanley Cup, falling short in Game 7.
On Thursday, Edmonton jumped to a quick lead, with Corey Perry, Mattias Janmark and Jeff Skinner each scoring goals within a six-minute stretch.
The Stars’ Jason Robertson cut the lead to 3-1 in the first period. The teams traded a goal each in the second.
In Edmonton, during the second intermission, fans watching from the Moss Pit were ushered inside Rogers Place, after Environment Canada issued an alert about a “very dangerous” thunderstorm that could produce “destructive wind gusts.”
A spokesperson for Oilers owner OEG Inc. told CBC News that getting fans inside was part of its safety procedures. Personnel set up a screen in Ford Hall so those fans could keep watching the game.
An emergency alert was issued to Edmontonians Thursday evening, warning of a possible thunderstorm and high winds. The alert came during the second intermission of Game 5 between the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars, shutting down the Moss Pit. Fans were rushed inside Roger Place for shelter just as the third period was starting.
In the third period, Robertson scored again to bring Dallas within 4-3. But the Oilers’ Evander Kane and Kasperi Kapanen provided some insurance, sealing the 6-3 victory.
The Oilers and Panthers now have almost a week to prepare before the Stanley Cup final begins.
This year, the series starts in Edmonton, with Game 1 on June 4.