Jake Oettinger is undefeated this season. Robert Tiffin makes the case that Otter Space is the Stars’ winning place.
If the Dallas Stars want to make that final push for another Stanley Cup, they will need peak Jake Oettinger. The season is young…but peak Jake Oettinger is back with a vengeance.
D Magazine contributor and Friend of DBD Robert Tiffin conducted a close examination of the 26-year-old netminder’s first three games of the season. He came to the same conclusion you probably did – that Otter is the X factor behind the Stars’ strong start.
Yet even more remarkable is Oettinger’s comeback from his worst statistical season on record:
First and foremost, Oettinger had to prove that last year’s downturn was merely a blip, the consequence of a surprise July 2023 ankle surgery that shortened his preseason and sabotaged his usual preparation.
Second, Oettinger had to show he can still steal a playoff series the way he almost did in 2022 against Calgary, when he stopped more than 95 percent of the Flames’ shots to turn what should’ve been a short series into a seven-game thriller, the deciding game going to overtime only because Oettinger stopped 64 shots.
Oettinger won’t have the opportunity to answer the latter question until April, but through the Stars’ first four games, he’s making last year look like an anomaly. The 26-year-old is 3-0-0 with a shutout and a .948 save percentage, which is good for second in the NHL, trailing only Connor Hellebuyck, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner. For a goaltender who only had three shutouts in the regular season last year, it’s every bit the start he needed.
“You just wanna get the season going the right way,” Oettinger said after his shutout on Saturday. “A lot of things need to go right, and you never take it for granted, so… pretty cool.”
There’s much more at StrongSide, because you know Big Bobby T brings the receipts. Enjoy. [D Magazine]
Stars Stuff
Of course he is. And how could it be otherwise?
This happened after Otter shut down the Oilers on Saturday. (We still love you, Mini-Mo.)
In On The #Kill Taker
Here’s what the weekend looked like in the rest of the Dirty Central:
- The Winnipeg Jets ran up the score on two different opponents this weekend to remain undefeated in October so far – first on Friday against the San Jose Sharks, 8-3… [Fear The Fin]
- …then on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Penguins, with the relatively mindful and demure final score of 6-3. [Arctic Ice Hockey]
- The Colorado Avalanche took 49 shots on goal against the Anaheim Ducks, and some of them actually went in. They got their first W of the season in overtime on Friday, 4-3. [The Denver Post]
- And the Avs managed to carry some momentum into Sunday with a 4-1 win over the increasingly woebegone Sharks. [NHL]
- Steven Stamkos got his first goal with the Nashville Predators, but the Preds are still looking for the first win – they dropped a 5-2 decision to the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday. [On The Forecheck]
- Kirill Kaprizov got a goal and an assist in the Minnesota Wild’s 3-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. [The Cannon]
- And Mathieu Joseph and Jake Neighbours both accomplished that feat for the St. Louis Blues in a 4-3 win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]
- The Chicago Blackhawks started slow and then went to sloppy, dropping what might have been a winnable game to the Buffalo Sabres, 4-2. [Second City Hockey]
- And Utah Hockey Club got back into the win column, taking a 2-1 victory in OT against the Boston Bruins. [NHL]
Around The Leagues
The Stars are riding high at No. 4, but the undefeated Jets grabbed the top spot in TSN’s first NHL Power Ranking of the season.
This month’s cultural celebrations have brought some insanely great jersey designs. [NHL]
Because it’s never too early to think about those 2025 draft prospects: Change is afoot in the Canadian major juniors.
Finally
Immortalized. Enjoy.