Oettinger steps up for Stars against Flames in Stanley Cup Playoffs

DALLAS -- Jake Oettinger is performing well for the Dallas Stars on a stage he wasn't expected to be anywhere near back in September.

When training camp began, Oettinger was fourth on the goalie depth chart behind
Ben Bishop
, Braden Holtby and
Anton Khudobin
. He began the regular season playing for Texas, the Stars' American Hockey League affiliate.
Then Bishop retired from hockey because of injuries Dec. 14. Holtby sustained a lower-body injury and has not played since March 4. Khudobin last played in the NHL on Jan. 15 and had arthroscopic hip surgery two months later.
And that's how Oettinger went from being one of Dallas' goalies to its No. 1 goalie.
RELATED: [Complete Flames vs. Stars series coverage]
"He probably saved our season," general manager Jim Nill said.
Oettinger has rolled well with the changes and emerged as a force during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, where he's 2-2 with a 1.53 goals-against average, .960 save percentage and one shutout.
He'll try to keep it going when the Stars play the Calgary Flames in Game 5 of the Western Conference First Round at Scotiabank Saddledome on Wednesday (9:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, CBC, SN, TVAS, BSSW).
The best-of-7 series is tied 2-2.
The 23-year-old became the youngest goalie in Stars/Minnesota North Stars history to get a playoff shutout when he made 29 saves in a 2-0 win against the Flames in Game 2 on Thursday. It's been a tremendous ride thus far and Oettinger has embraced it all.

"This is what it's all about right here," Oettinger said after the Stars defeated the Flames 4-2 in Game 3 on Saturday. "When I was younger, every single night, playoff hockey the whole time, so to be in this position that I'm in now is what I've worked for my whole life. You go out there, you lay it on the line. If you win, great. If you don't then you regroup and do it again."
Oettinger was 30-15-1 with a 2.53 GAA, .914 save percentage and one shutout in 48 games (46 starts) during the regular season. A first-round pick (No. 26) by the Stars in the 2017 NHL Draft, Oettinger is 41-23-8 with a 2.46 GAA, .913 save percentage and two shutouts in his first two seasons in the NHL.
"He's just not scared of the moment, he's not scared of the ball, he wants it," Stars forward Tyler Seguin said. "We knew that from Day One of talking to him. He's got that edge, he's got that chip on his shoulder, but he doesn't have an arrogance to him. He's still a sponge around the rink.
"Being with guys over the last little while like Anton and seeing Holtby's work ethic and getting advice from 'Bish' on the grand scheme of things, he's kind of come into the perfect environment. It just depended on how he took it all in, how he handled it. He's done a great job and it's why, when these big moments have come, he's rose to the occasion with us."
Perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise that Oettinger has handled the pressure so well. He was a 17-year-old freshman when he became the starting goalie for Boston University, where he was 58-39-11 with a 2.34 GAA, .923 save percentage and 13 shutouts in 108 NCAA games. He's tied for first in BU history in shutouts with Jack Ferreira (1963-66) and John Curry (2003-07).
David Quinn, who coached Oettinger as a freshman in 2016-17, said the goalie adapted immediately to Division l hockey.
"I mean, you could just see he had it in him," said Quinn, who was New York Rangers coach from 2018-21. "Obviously being that young, he had things to learn as most teenagers do, but you could see the special talent in him. And in that position, to get to the level he wanted to get to, not only do you need the physical talents, but you need the mental talents and he has all that in spades."
Oettinger had a good rookie season with the Stars in 2021-22, when he was 11-8-7 with a 2.36 GAA, .911 save percentage and one shutout in 29 games (24 starts), primarily as a backup to Khudobin.
But after Holtby signed a one-year contract July 28 and Bishop was expected to return after missing last season with a knee injury, Oettinger started this season in the AHL.
"The tough part was when I talked to him over the summer, 'You need to play some games and play at a different level to get back,'" Nill said of Oettinger, who was 4-5-1 with a 2.62 GAA and .913 save percentage in 10 starts with Texas. "That was tough because he'd already been up here and done it a little bit, but he hadn't maxed out. He went down there, I don't know if he was happy with it, but he went down, then we had injuries and he's never looked back."
Still, the playoffs were going to be new territory for Oettinger. He played a combined 36:40 in two games during the 2020 playoffs, saving all eight shots he faced. But Oettinger has had plenty of support along the way.
Stars coach Rick Bowness said he'll send Oettinger a text after every game, "just to keep communication open, just keep boosting hm up." Bishop said he talks to Oettinger frequently and gave him advice heading into his first postseason as a starter.
"You'll be a little nervous, but you'll realize quickly that it's just another game and enjoy it," Bishop said. "Just stay on an even keel. I think it helps playing college hockey, you're used to those crowds chanting your name and getting all over you. it brings you back to those days, obviously with quite a few more people now, but he's used to playing in those hostile environments in college. Even when I was playing playoff games, you go back to those college days, playing in those tough buildings. He did that, he's done great so far."
Oettinger's taken quite a ride to become Dallas' No. 1 goalie, and he has been exactly what the Stars needed.
"He's paid his dues in the American League, he's done it the right way, nothing's been handed to him and you can see the approach that the organization took with him is paying dividends right now," Quinn said. "I think he's here to stay. I think he's a No. 1 goalie in the National Hockey League and his best hockey is ahead of him."