Elite goaltending in the playoffs tends to push teams to new heights. The Dallas Stars reached the Western Conference Finals on the back of an outstanding Game 7 from goaltender Jake Oettinger.
In the 2-1 Stars victory, Oettinger saved 22 of the 23 shots he faced, coming 19 seconds shy of a shutout in the biggest game of his life. Stars coach Peter DeBoer, who is now 7-0 in Game 7's in his career, talked about what makes his netminder such a standout.
“His mental toughness, I told him this morning at pregame skate, he’s the best response goalie that I’ve had the opportunity to coach. When I say response, it’s when either our team or he has an off night, the next night he’s locked and loaded and ready to go. I knew he’d do it again tonight, and he did,” DeBoer said. “That’s the backbone of what we’re about. He’s elite, and I’m glad he’s going to get a few days of rest because we’ve been riding him pretty hard here.”
The Stars have indeed relied on Oettinger a lot this season. He's started every game in the postseason after playing in 62 regular season games. While his numbers this postseason don't exactly jump out as elite, Oettinger still came up when the moment mattered most. He allowed 22 goals in the series but saved over 25 shots per game.
The Dallas Stars find themselves four wins away from a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals. Though a talented bunch all around, the Stars could end up going only as far as Jake Oettinger will take them.
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