He needed that strong will in the third period. After a collision at the net caused the NHL's concussion spotter to pull Oettinger from the game in the second period, he had to go through protocol and wait in the dressing room for the thumbs up to return. Once he did, he was under fire from the Avalanche, but he held on and credited his D with keeping chances to the outside.
"Obviously, I wanted to get back in there and try to close the door for our team in the third," Oettinger said. "They did a great job locking it down in the third. When you have a lead on home ice going into the third period, you have to shut it down, and we did a great job."
The previous five periods were almost perfect in their defensive presence against some of the best offensive players in the league, so there definitely is a template the team can repeat. What's more, the defense is helping lead to more offense.
Hintz has five goals and four assists in the 4-1-0 run. Robertson has three goals and four assists in that span. Pavelski has three goals and two assists. The top line is once again the top line, and now opponents have to game-plan for it.
"Tonight they were going really good," Bowness said. "Again, Robo (Robertson) missed a lot of time into camp and Roope too, so they're getting their chemistry back."
Pavelski continues to be a leader on the line. The veteran of 1,103 regular season games continues to play like he's 20-something, and that's inspiring for all. When he was honored as first start of the game for the historic 400th goal (he's just the 10th American-born player to hit that mark), his 11-year-old son Nate joined him on the bench.
That's something that aging well in this league provides for you.
"It was awesome. It was special," Pavelski said of the father-son moment. "He loves the game right now and is aware of what's going on most nights in the NHL. He's got his favorite players and it was pretty cool to see him there. We spent a lot of time playing in the backyard and getting on the ice once in a while with his team, and it's just fun to see these kids and how much they love the game. It's a good reminder some nights."
Meanwhile, 14 members of the Robertson family were in town for Thanksgiving and attended the game. So as much as all of this is a job, there also is an important support group surrounding each player. And while that family can be at home or in the dressing room, you need to find a way to weave it all together.
"I think it just goes to show how well we've been playing defensively," Oettinger said when asked about wins over the Oilers and Avalanche. "If you look at the scoring chances, I don't think either team has had a ton. Especially teams like that, it seems like they get a few freebies every game, they're that good. But we haven't given any of that, and the guys have done such a good job committing to defense. I think, if you look back two years ago when we went to the finals, we're playing like that team right now, and we just have to keep that going."