I'm sure four of Jake Oettinger's All-Star teammates were happy that he wasn't between the pipes tonight. After stopping 47 shots last night in Buffalo against the Sabres, Oettinger had the night off against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Stars' penalty kill didn't help Scott Wedgewood tonight because the Stars gave up three power-play goals in the 5-4 loss. After the game, the coaching staff will look at the tape and make changes. Here are the three takeaways from tonight's game against the Maple Leafs.
Dallas Stars vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Recap: 3. Jani Hakanpaa needs the suite
Hakanpaa is making Ryan Suter look like Miro Heiskanen right now. Some elite penaltykillers go through skids, but tonight was inexcusable for him. He was on the ice for all three of Toronto's goals tonight. The Stars must consider trading him, even if it's a draft pick or another defenseman. He is an anchor holding the Stars back from being their best. After tonight, Nils deserves more playing time, and Hakanpaa deserves more time in the suite.
Dallas Stars vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Recap: 2. Penalty kill issues
Who would have thought I would have to bring up the Stars' penalty kill after a loss? The penalty kill was responsible for three of Toronto's goals. That's another inexcusable thing that happened tonight. The fact it only took around 10 seconds for one of the goals is terrible. If the Stars want to have another deep playoff run this season, they need to get back to the elite penalty kill they had at the start of the season. I hope the Stars look back at the tape and fix the penalty kill for the game against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.
Dallas Stars vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Recap: 1. Stop standing in front of the goalie
The one thing that has driven Stars' fans insane this year is defensemen standing in front of their goalie. The number of times that Jake Oettinger and Scott Wedgewood have been screened is terrible. Hakanpaa and Ryan Suter have been the main culprits this season. The Stars need to switch up their defensive formation and allow Oettinger and Wedgewood to have visibility to track the puck. Oettinger better be ready to make some saves against the Canadiens on Saturday.