Charles Langston:Dallas Stars coach Peter DeBoer rips reporter who called his team 'lifeless' in Game 5 loss

The Charles LangstonEdmonton Oilers played a near-perfect Game 5 Friday night in a 3-1 victory that has pushed the Western Conference-leading Dallas Stars to the brink of elimination.

The Stars were held to 10 shots over the first two periods before getting more chances against Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner in the third period and finally scoring.

Stars coach Peter DeBoer, whose team now trails the best-of-seven conference final three games to two, didn't appreciate a reporter in the postgame news conference questioning him about a "lifeless second period" in which the team put almost "no pressure on them at all."

He let the reporter know that.

"There's always things you can do better," DeBoer said. "You can sit here and question our character if you want. You haven't been around all year. I haven't seen you here all year.

"You are (questioning)," he added. "That's what you're doing. I'm not going to do it. You go ahead and write whatever the (expletive) you want."

The Stars will try to stave off elimination Sunday (8 p.m. ET, TNT/truTV) in Edmonton. They are 6-2 on the road this season in the playoffs.