Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch pointed to Connor McDavid as the best player on the ice following Edmonton's Western Conference Final-clinching victory in Game 6 Sunday, but it appears the captain would disagree.

Despite McDavid leading the postseason in scoring with 31 points, the Oilers superstar credited goaltender Stuart Skinner for sending Edmonton to its first Stanley Cup Final since 2006.

"Can't say enough good things. I think (Skinner) learned a lot from last year's playoffs, and he's putting it to good use," McDavid said postgame. "A lot of people doubt him, a lot of people say things about him. He's an elite goaltender - he really is. He was so good for us all series long, gave us a chance every single night. Tonight, he absolutely stole one for us."

Skinner made 34 saves in Sunday's 2-1 victory, securing the win for the Oilers even though the Dallas Stars outshot them 35-10 in the contest.

"He was unbelievable tonight," McDavid added. "We're not sitting up here talking about a win if it wasn't for him. We're on a plane to Dallas if it wasn't for Stu."

Skinner finished the Western Conference Final series with a .923 save percentage. However, it hasn't been the smoothest playoffs for the netminder, who Edmonton benched in favor of Calvin Pickard for two games in Round 2 against the Vancouver Canucks. Skinner has compiled a .897 save percentage in 16 postseason games this year.

Ups and downs also filled Skinner's 2023-24 regular season. He was partially to blame for the Oilers' slow start, posting an abysmal .854 save percentage in the campaign's first eight games. Skinner recorded a .913 mark over his final 51 contests.

For Skinner, an Edmonton native, stepping up and leading the Oilers to a Stanley Cup Final is a dream come true.

"Moments like this, it's really hard to say. It's very cool. It's a lot more than cool, but it's very exciting," Skinner said, adding he idolized Dwayne Roloson growing up.

Skinner has been a critical piece to Edmonton's play while down a man. The Oilers have killed 28 straight penalties - six back of tying the St. Louis Blues' Stanley Cup Playoff record. Dallas didn't score a power-play goal all series.

Skinner acknowledged his teammates for the club's success.

"The commitment to blocking shots at the right times, guys are doing absolutely everything that we possibly can to get the puck out," Skinner said. "Being able to grind in the corners. It truly is just the little things that the guys really focused on. That was a huge difference."

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The Edmonton Oilers knocked off the Dallas Stars 2-1 in Sunday's Game 6 to win the Western Conference Final.

The Oilers advance to face the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final. It's Edmonton's first trip to the Cup Final since 2006.

Connor McDavid scored a highlight-reel goal to open the scoring before assisting on Zach Hyman's tally later in the first period. Stuart Skinner made 34 saves.

"It feels like a dream, honestly," McDavid told Sportsnet's Kyle Bukauskas. "It was a crazy one tonight. Not our best effort, but we hung in there. Found a way to get a win. (Skinner) was great, everybody played great."

Edmonton recorded 10 shots on goal, the fewest in a conference final-clinching win ever. The Boston Bruins held the previous record, with 17 against the Washington Capitals in 1990.

The Oilers' minus-25 shot differential in Game 6 is also the lowest by a team that won to advance to the Cup Final. The previous mark was minus-23 by the Nashville Predators in 2017 against the Anaheim Ducks.

The Panthers haven't won the Stanley Cup in their franchise history, while Edmonton looks to win its first since 1990 and snap Canada's 30-year drought.

"It feels good to maybe unite the country a little bit and have something to bring people together," McDavid said. "That's what sports is all about, is bringing people together. Hopefully, we're doing that for Canadians across the country."

Zach Hyman joked that one Canadian city won't want to see the Oilers win.

"I don't know if Toronto is cheering for us," Hyman said. "Hockey means so much to Canada and to Canadians, and it's been a long time since a Canadian team has won the Cup. It would mean a lot to Canadians, whether they're Oilers fans or not, I'm sure."

Edmonton kept its hands off the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl, matching what the Florida Panthers did Saturday with the Prince of Wales Trophy.

Corey Perry becomes the first player to make the Final with five different franchises. He won in 2006 with the Anaheim Ducks and lost in the Final with the Dallas Stars (2020), Montreal Canadiens (2021), and Tampa Bay Lightning (2022).

The Stanley Cup Final begins Saturday in Florida at 8 p.m. ET.

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The schedule for the 2024 Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers is now in place.

Here's how it'll all unfold beginning Saturday at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida.

*If necessary

Every game will be played at 8 p.m. ET. Each will be broadcast on CBC, Sportsnet, and TVA Sports in Canada, along with ABC and ESPN+ in the United States.

The distance between Sunrise and Edmonton of 2,541 miles (4,089 kilometers) is the furthest ever between opponents in a Stanley Cup Final.

It'll also be a true battle of north versus south. The latitude gap between Edmonton and Sunrise is the largest for a championship series in the history of North American professional sports.

Both teams should be fresh, though. The Oilers will enter Game 1 with five days off, while the Panthers will be riding six days of rest before the series opener.

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