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Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Jake Oettinger Has Been the Stars’ Quiet Postseason Hero

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Marc Sautter | Last updated May 9, 2025 3:15 PM ET

The Dallas Stars enter Game 2 on Friday night against the Winnipeg Jets up 1-0 in the series, and look to head back to Texas two wins away from their third-straight appearance in the Western Conference Final.

It’s been a fairly dramatic postseason for the Stars up until this point, with many different storylines. Of course, we instantly think about Mikko Rantanen and his offensive outbursts in the last three games, including a magical third period in Game 7 to oust his former teammates in Colorado.

However, there’s one big factor to Stars’ playoff success this season that is being overlooked, and understandably so considering the way in which Rantanen has taken over the headlines. It’s the play of star goaltender Jake Oettinger, who once again, is having a terrific postseason and deserves just as many flowers as anyone else on this team.

Steady as He Goes for Oettinger

It’s hard to immediately think about Oettinger when we think about how the Stars have made it to a 1-0 lead in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals, and rightfully so. Not only because of Rantanen, depth scoring, and special teams, but there were a couple of big numbers from the Avalanche that may raise an eyebrow.

In Game against the Avalanche, Oettinger allowed four goals on 24 shots. However, the first goal was a crazy soccer kick, and the second goal deflected off a defenseman. In Games 2 and 4, he allowed three goals in each game, but in Game 2, he made 34 saves, including some in overtime to help his team get the win, and in Game 4, he played incredibly, making 31 stops, but his team gave up in front of him. Throughout Round 1, he made extremely timely saves and kept on giving his team a chance every night.

Overall, Oettinger has a .914% save percentage (SV%), a 2.75 goals against average (GAA), and has a 5-3 record through eight games. Amongst goalies who have played six games or more this postseason, Oettinger is third in SV% and 7th in GAA. The GAA number is a tad bloated due to allowing five goals in Game 6, but in context, that was against a Colorado team that was on the brink of elimination, and one of those goals was scored off his teammate Colin Blackwell’s shoulder. So, in context, those numbers are more than passable to me.

The timeliness of saves is something you can’t see on the scoresheet. In Game 2, a Stars 4-3 overtime win, the Avalanche were up 3-2 at the end of the second period, and Oettinger made eight saves in the final 20 minutes to give his team a chance to tie the game and eventually win it in overtime. 27 saves in a 2-1 overtime win in Game 3 speak for themselves. In Game 7, the Avalanche grabbed the 1-0 lead halfway through the second period and doubled it at the beginning of the third. Again, Oettinger kept his composure and made big saves to allow Rantanen and company to take over and win in regulation.

In Game 1 against the Jets, Oettinger made 29 saves, including 13 in the first period and 10 in the third when the Jets were furiously trying to tie the game. That has really been the Story of Oettinger through eight games. Sometimes, the scoring hasn’t been there, and sometimes, reliable players go missing. Still, other times, defensemen made questionable plays in the defensive zone. There is one player that the coaching staff doesn’t have to think or worry about, and that is Jake Oettinger.

The Stars Have the Advantage in Net

Heading into Round 2, it felt like the battle between the pipes was being undersold. There was plenty of buzz about Connor Hellebuyck and his postseason troubles, but not a lot about who has the advantage in the crease. Again, rightfully so, considering the Game 7 heroics by both teams just a few days prior to the series getting started. Now that we’re one game in, I think it’s an important conversation.

We already went over Oettinger’s stats through the first eight games, now let’s look at Hellebuyck’s. Hellebuyck is 4-4, with an .836 SV% and a 3.75 GAA. Both of those stats are last among goalies who have started six or more games.

Hellebuyck is one of, if not the best, goalies in the NHL. He won the Vezina Trophy last season, will probably win it this season, and is even up for the Hart Trophy. There is no doubt about his regular-season prowess. On top of that, he was the starting goalie for the Americans at the 4 Nations Face-Off and will certainly be on the team for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics. However, his playoff stats are what they are. In his last three postseason appearances, including this season, Hellebuyck is 6-12, with a .862 SV% and a 4.14 GAA.

Now, comparing that to his Team USA counterpart, it really isn’t close. Over the same span, Oettinger is 25-21, with a .907 SV% and a 2.68 GAA. I rest my case.

We’re not talking about potential here, we’re talking about the facts. When at his best, Hellebuyck is the better goalie, but the playoffs are a different beast, and Oettinger has historically slayed that beast.

The Proof Will Lie in Round 2’s Results

The bottom line for Hellebuyck is that a couple of good home games in Round 1 don’t conquer the playoff demons. In the other crease, Oettinger doesn’t have any demons to speak of. Will Rantanen keep scoring piles of goals a game? Will the depth for Dallas continue to produce? Will Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen (when he comes back from injury) make a positive impact in this series for the Stars? All of those questions will be answered in two weeks time. Will Oettinger do his part? We already know the answer to that question.