Oettinger, Stars turn the page to Stanley Cup Playoffs in style
Dallas completes 2-1 comeback win against St. Louis to clinch conference in Game 82
The Dallas Stars needed a single point on Wednesday against the St. Louis Blues in order to clinch the top seed in the Western Conference. Trailing 1-0 in the third period, it was Mason Marchment’s goal that tied the game and pushed Dallas to its first conference title in nearly 10 years.
“We always have confidence,” Marchment said of his team’s ability to come back once again. “When we play our game and everyone is chipping in and playing their role, we’re a hard team to beat. That’s why we’re where we are this year. It’s nice to end off on that note. It was a good win.”
But while Marchment tied it and Jason Robertson eventually scored the lone shootout goal to give the Stars a 2-1 win, Game 82 belonged solely to Jake Oettinger.
The 25-year-old netminder has not had his best season. He struggled throughout, was allowing three or four goals seemingly every night for a long stretch, and missed some time with an injury for the second year in a row.
While Otters stay asleep for a long time, the ‘Otter’ does not.
Oettinger has completely flipped the script. Since March 19, he has gone 10-1-0 with a .941 save percentage and a 1.54 goals-against average. For comparison, those numbers would rank far above the rest of the league.
Oettinger finished the season 35-14-4 with a .905 save percentage and a 2.72 goals-against average, both below his career average and ranking middle of the pack in the NHL.
“It’s been a tough year at some points, and I have learned a lot about myself and the people around me that are there for me,” Oettinger said. “My goalie coach, Jeff Reese, and other goalie coaches that I have that believe in me wholeheartedly. They help me through those tough times, and the people close to me believed that I could turn my game around and get it to where it is now. I am just proud of how I finished the season and thankful for the people that really believed that I could get here when some people didn’t think I was going to. I am proud of myself and my team around me, and I feel good about my game right now.”
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