At the risk of sounding like a two-bit inspirational speaker, the roads to many of our great success stories – both in sports and in life – are paved by failure. Sure, it's cliché, but it's also true. It's certainly true for the two teams we'll see meet in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night.
Immediately after the eliminated the to clinch Edmonton's first Western Conference title since 2006, veteran Stars forward had this to say about being on the losing end. "Unfortunately, you got to lose a lot to win in this league. I don't know why it's like that.
Learn some lessons, keep this taste and get ready for next year." Sure, there's some irony in that quote coming from a guy who won a Stanley Cup as a rookie with the in 2011, but his message here is pointed more at group arcs than individual ones. To that point, it's a fairly wise and accurate one.
And while Seguin was talking about his Stars – a team that has been knocking on the door for years at this point – it also applies to the guys on the other side that, this time, came away victorious in six games. Prior to this year, the Oilers never won a game past the second round of the playoffs in eight seasons of the era. They reached the Western Conference Final just one time, in 2022, when they were promptly swept in four games by the , who went on to win the Stanley Cup.
Despite consistently being one of the league's most electrifying offensive teams with the clear-cut best player (McDavid) and another o.
