Jake Oettinger got the second shutout of his career, going save-for-save with Marc-Andre Fleury in a game that was 0-0 at the end of overtime between the Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks.
Oettinger’s saves were pretty routine throughout regulation. Though Stars were a little hemmed into their own zone early into the game, the five-man group in front did a pretty good job of limiting the quality of chances Oettinger saw. Those shots that did get through, he had pretty good sightlines to.
Fleury, on the other hand, is the only reason why Chicago got a point in this game.
He was vintage Vezina-finalist-in-Pittsburgh Fleury. He made huge saves each period against some heavy hitters for Dallas. But nothing beats this save by Fleury on Roope Hintz, who was buzzing all night long and completely stonewalled by the Chicago netminder.
ARE YOU SERIOUS 🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸?! pic.twitter.com/TNdS24O9Fm
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 19, 2022
By the end of the third period, it felt like Dallas easily could have been up 3-0 in the game. Instead, the game ended scoreless in a classic goaltender dual. While regulation had ebbs and flows, times in which the two teams tried to get in a track meet and times where they slowed the pace and tried to setup a cycle game, the five minute 3-on-3 overtime was pretty much an embodiment of this tweet:
why watch overtime playoff hockey when you can simply snort cocaine and ride a motorcycle out of a helicopter
— Jon Bois (@jon_bois) April 17, 2014
Whereas Fleury was the star in regulation, it was Oettinger coming up with ten bell saves in overtime. Dallas managed to get several odd-man looks in overtime as well, but both goalies stood firm.
So off to a shootout it went to determine who would take home the extra point. And it again felt like these teams were never going to score again. After Jason Robertson and Alex DeBrincat scored in the first round, the next three shooters for Dallas were stopped by Fleury: Joe Pavleksi. Tyler Seguin. Alexander Radulov.
Enter: Jacob Peterson.
The same Peterson that leads all NHL rookies in game winning goals. That scored in his first NHL game. Taking his first shootout attempt of his career, he went with a slick move to beat Fleury and give Dallas the win:
Petey. Shootout. Game Winner.@ATT | #TexasHockey pic.twitter.com/yExtctxPPb
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) February 19, 2022
There can’t be many players that have scored in their first game and first shootout attempt in the same season, but now you know at least one: Jacob Peterson of the Dallas Stars.