Tough, but positive news coming out of Texas regarding a No. 1 goaltender.
On Monday, Dallas Stars head coach Pete DeBoer revealed that Jake Oettinger is expected to only be out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
DeBoer also mentioned that the status of Oettinger’s injury was “good news” after a series of tests.
Oettinger was injured in the opening minutes of the Stars’ game against the Ottawa Senators on Friday night after making an awkward-looking save on Claude Giroux.
Dallas ended up winning that game, 5-4, with Scott Wedgewood coming in to pick up the victory in relief. Oettinger did not make the trip with the team the following day to St. Louis.
The situation was dire enough that Dallas had to sign former Niagara University goaltender Joe O’Brien as an emergency backup against the Blues.
Prior to the injury, Oettinger had posted an 11-7-2 record in 21 starts, with a 2.93 goals-against average and .901 save-percentage.
With Oettinger out, the Stars called up goaltender, and former UMass star, Matt Murray from their American Hockey League affiliate, the Texas Stars.
This is Murray’s first callup to Dallas this season. He made his NHL debut on March 2, 2023, earning a win against the Chicago Blackhawks. In three appearances, the 25-year-old went 1-2, with a 3.39 GAA and .844 SV%.
In 13 games this year with Texas, Murray is 8-4-1 with a 2.86 GAA, .908 SV% and a shutout.
Despite the promise of Murray and Wedgewood being able to hold the fort into the New Year, missing Oettinger for an extended period of time could hurt the Stars (17-8-4) in the Central Division race. His ability to steal games has made him a fan favorite since the team’s wild seven-game series against the Calgary Flames in the first round of the 2022 playoffs.
Dallas is set to host the Seattle Kraken on Monday night, are tied for second in the division with the Winnipeg Jets, both teams two points back of the first-place Colorado Avalanche.
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