ºÃÉ«tv

Edmonton and Dallas met six times in seven post-seasons between 1997 and 2003. The Oilers took the first matchup in dramatic fashion before the Stars made a habit of advancing to the next round.

ºÃÉ«tvlooks back at those series:

1997 — Oilers win first-round series 4-3

The underdog Oilers finished 23 points behind the Stars in the regular-season standings. With the series tied 1-1, Edmonton trailed 3-0 late in Game 3 on home ice, but scored three times before captain Kelly Buchberger added the winner in overtime. The Oilers wasted a chance to put the Stars away in Game 6 following a 1-0 OT victory in Dallas to set up another extra-time thriller. After goaltender Curtis Joseph robbed Joe Nieuwendyk of a sure-fire series winner — "Oh my goodness!" late play-by-play man Bob Cole bellowed of the save from his broadcast perch — Edmonton forward Todd Marchant blew past a defender and scored the clincher to send his team to the second round.

1998 — Stars win second-round series 4-1

Dallas secured the Presidents' Trophy with the NHL's best regular-season record after putting up 109 points, while Edmonton finished 29 points adrift. The teams again split the first two games in Texas — including a Joseph shutout — after moving on from the opening round, but the Stars wouldn't be surprised two years in a row. Benoit Hogue scored in OT to give Dallas a 1-0 win in Game 3 before 3-1 and 2-1 victories pushed the Stars to the conference final.

1999 — Stars win first-round series 4-0

Disappointed after losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings the previous spring, Dallas was on a mission. The Stars captured a second straight Presidents' Trophy with 114 points compared to the Oilers' 78. But despite the massive gulf in regular-season output, every game in the series was decided by one goal — including a 3-2 Stars' victory in triple overtime of Game 4 where Nieuwendyk got a measure of personal revenge for 1997. Dallas would go on to win the franchise's only Cup that June.

2000 — Stars win first-round series 4-1

Dallas once again entered the series as a decisive favourite against the small-market Oilers. Edmonton picked up a 5-2 victory on home ice in Game 3 to cut its deficit to 2-1, but the Stars bounced back with 4-3 and 3-2 decisions — overcoming their first hurdle before making a second straight appearance in the final.

2001 — Stars win first-round series 4-2

The teams held serve at home through the first four games — including three decided after 60 minutes — before Kirk Muller scored in the matchup's fourth OT contest to give the Stars a 3-2 lead. Dallas finished the job two nights later to seal a fourth straight series victory — and third in a row in the first round — over the Oilers.

2003 — Stars win first-round series 4-2

Dallas and Edmonton missed the playoffs in 2002, but were back at it 12 months later with a sixth post-season meeting in seven years. The Stars once again topped the West with 111 points, while the Oilers were 19 points back. Edmonton led the series 1-0 and 2-1, but Dallas took the next three — including a 3-2 victory in Game 6 — to once again claim the series.

This report by ºÃÉ«tvwas first published May 22, 2024.

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