The Dallas Stars edged one point closer to the Central Division lead with a 2-1 shootout win over the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena on Wednesday night. As seems to be the trend when these teams play, the better team did not win, but the Stars found a way to escape with a win.
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Jason Robertson was the lone goal scorer in regulation, Wyatt Johnston was the shootout hero, and Jake Oettinger made 33 saves.
For the Avalanche, Cale Makar scored, and Scott Wedgewood made 17 saves.
Jake Oettinger Steals a Win
One of the more underrated topics during the Stars’ recently-snapped 15-game point streak was Oettinger’s play (he is still on a 12-0-1 point streak of his own). Since that streak started on Jan. 20 (a 6-2 win over the Boston Bruins), Oettinger has a .903 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.33 goals against average (GAA).
On Wednesday night, Oettinger was the difference in the game, and it wasn’t even close. The Avalanche peppered the net all night long, and he was there to shut the door every time. He didn’t have to be spectacular as far as acrobatics go aside from a few chances throughout the night, but the Avalanche’s tactic to throw pucks at the net was clear and Oettinger was able to keep all but one of them out.
“I thought ‘Oetts’ was the difference for us. He was by far our best player,” head coach Glen Gulutzan said after the game. “He was the difference, and if I rewind to (the 5-4 shootout win in) October, he was the difference there, too. So I thought he’s fantastic tonight.”
Before Oettinger’s current point streak, his numbers were admirable, but there were moments throughout the season where it felt like he was fighting his game a little bit, such as some goals allowed early in games and a handful of goals allowed late in games. Right now, he has rounded into form and is looking like the top-five goalie that many perceive him to be.
“It’s huge,” Oettinger said. “We want to win the division and win the Presidents’ Trophy. We gained one point on them, but we still have a lot of work to do.”
Good Teams Find a Way to Win
The Avalanche were the best team on the ice, and there’s really no debate, but the Stars were able to keep up and hang in the game long enough to steal two points. Again, that had a lot to do with who was between the pipes.
“I thought it was two teams kind of feeling each other out at first, and that’s why it was tight,” Gulutzan said. “Almost like two heavyweight fighters that didn’t want to get hit with a punch early. So I thought it was pretty tentative, both sides. They kind of got going first, carried the momentum. We got it back a little bit in the third.”
That is true, the third period was much better for the Stars, and they even carried a lot of the play in overtime as well. Both teams are without a handful of really good players, and the Avalanche haven’t been happy with their play as of late. The Stars were able to take advantage of both.
“As a coach, you’re never happy, and, I think our guys, next time we can be better in this building.”
They will almost certainly have to be in the spring if they want to get back to the Western Conference Final.
Can the Stars Actually Win the Division?
Coming out of the Winter Olympic break, the Stars were one point back of the Minnesota Wild, five points back of the Avalanche, and sat in third place in the division. It’s kind of hilarious that even after losing once in regulation in the last 16 games, and taking three out of four points against the Avalanche in that stretch, they are still two points back in the division. It does seem, however, that they have locked themselves into no worse than second place, since they are now six points clear of the Wild.
The good news for Dallas is that they have played one fewer game than the Avalanche and they still play each other one more time. It also feels like the Stars are starting to peak, while the Avalanche have maybe already played their best hockey.
Usually, winning the division is a huge plus heading into the postseason, as you are rewarded by playing against a wild-card team, rather than necessarily a divisional opponent. That is especially the case this season.
The Avalanche are 20 points clear of the Pacific-leading Anaheim Ducks, which means that if the Stars do win the division, they would play the second wild-card team, while the Ducks would play the first wild-card team. Currently, the Seattle Kraken hold onto that final wild-card spot, but by the time the playoffs start, it could be the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, Nashville Predators, or maybe even the Winnipeg Jets.
Regardless of who the opponent is, they would be a much better matchup than the Wild. The Stars would still be favorites against the Wild, but it would be a much tougher battle than any one of those teams.
Up Next
Speaking of the Wild, the Stars head to Minnesota to take on the Wild Saturday afternoon and will head home to take on the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday night.
