The Dallas Stars vs Colorado Avalanche series was a Conference Final-worthy matchup in the first round. Dallas fought in game 7 and advanced into the second round without critical stars Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson. The fact that many reporters didn't even give the Stars a chance in round 1 is astonishing because the Stars have so much scoring depth. This wouldn’t have been possible without lights-out performances from other players banding together.
While Mikko Rantanen’s performance will deservedly be remembered as the highlight from the first round, Jake Oettinger’s staunch presence in the net shouldn’t be forgotten. He's why the Stars were in the thick of things most of the time in the series. The number of highlight-reel saves Oettinger made is just outstanding. If Oettinger didn't have the performance he had in round one, the team and he would be out hitting the golf course while the Avalanche prepares for the Winnipeg Jets.
This is one of those instances where the numbers aren’t the most impressive, but watching the play showed a goalie standing on his head in crucial moments. Across the seven games, Oettinger had a .911 save percentage and a 2.85 GAA. Two of those games went to overtime. In Game 6, he faced 46 shots and stopped 41.
The workload was high, but Oettinger rose to the challenge as always. Especially in a situation without Miro Heiskanen, the pressure gets higher. Heiskanen is arguably Dallas’ best player and can easily play half the game. Without that security in front of the net, the other defensemen and Oettinger had to rally, and they did.
Credit must be given to Esa Lindell, who quietly does his defensive work but had his praises sung by Oettinger after the shot blocks to save the game in overtime. It was an incredible feat of his willingness to throw everything on the ice to preserve the games and a show of trust and appreciation between the defenseman and the goalie.
The Stars put in the work to draft and develop Oettinger, and it shouldn’t go underappreciated how lucky we are to have a 26-year-old starter who is reliable, can bounce back, and is one of the best of the best.
With the next round against Winnipeg approaching, we’ll see Oettinger take on Vezina finalist and fellow Team USA goaltender, Connor Hellebuyck. It’ll be an actual battle between two of the best American goalies. Whoever wins this series will take on the winner of the Edmonton Oilers vs. Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Finals. Buckle up, Stars' fans, because if you thought round one was Jake's best performance, he will need to be at his best to send home the best team in the league.