'He's on top of his game': Jake Oettinger gets the start against Avs

Stars (8-7-2, 18 points) vs. Avalanche (10-5-1, 21 points)

Jake Oettinger will start in goal Friday against Colorado at 6:30 p.m.
Head coach Rick Bowness called it a "no-brainer."
Oettinger has been that good. The 22-year-old backstop was called up from the minors and given an opportunity in the NHL this season because Braden Holtby was injured and Anton Khudobin was sick. But four appearances later, he has a 3-0-0 record with a 1.29 goals-against average and .955 save percentage. He's coming off a 4-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers and has shown an impressive amount of poise.
"He's very calm in the net, and he's reading the play very well, his anticipation is right on, no rebounds, he's swallowing pucks, he's right on top of his game," Bowness said.
While the team played a great defensive game in front of Oettinger against the Oilers, Bowness said the young goalie also contributed to the overall team performance.
"We didn't let them open it up, we didn't let them come at us, we didn't give up 20 scoring chances," Bowness said. "The challenge for the goalie is to stay in the game and keep focus when you're getting limited shots and limited chances, and he did that."

Oettinger went 11-8-7 last season as a rookie with a 2.36 GAA and .911 save percentage. He started this year back in the minors and went 4-5-1 with a 2.62 GAA and .913 SV%. However, he's been really solid in his call-up and actually looks better than he did both last season and in the AHL.
"He's probably a little bit more mature," Stars defenseman John Klingberg said. "I wouldn't say he's that much different. Obviously, he got a little under his belt last year, so he knows what we're doing up here and he knows all the guys and all of that. I think that helps him a little bit, but we always knew how good he was, and he showed it last year and this year."

What to watch

The Stars on Tuesday faced the two top scorers in the NHL (Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl) and the league's best power play and shut it all down. Dallas outshot Edmonton 33-22 and allowed just 55 seconds of power-play time in a 4-1 win.
Having a defensive mindset was a great base for a team that currently ranks 19th in goals-against average at 3.00 and needed a reminder about what's been its philosophy for years. Now, the hope is they can do the same thing against a Colorado team that also leans toward offense.
"Everyone bought in last game because when we play against those guys, everyone has to be on the same page, and that's what we did," center Radek Faksa said. "We have to do that again in this game because Colorado has been one of the best teams in the league."

Colorado (10-5-1) leads the NHL in scoring at 4.06 goals per game and currently is on a six-game winning streak. While Dallas was able to concentrate on the forwards against Edmonton, the Avalanche have a strong group of defensemen led by Cale Makar, Samuel Girard and Devon Toews.
"These guys play fast, really fast, and it's not one or two guys, it's the whole team," Bowness said. "They have a lot of speed, and that defense is coming. The defense will be the first guys out of the zone, Girard, Makar, Toews, they're gone. So this is a different animal. It's speed in all four lines, and a much more mobile defense. It's important that we don't lose their D."
That said, the Stars' defensive play started with smart puck possession and a good philosophy in the neutral zone and offensive zone. That's a huge key to keeping the shots on goal against down.
"You've got to make them defend," Bowness said. "So puck possession in the neutral zone, puck management in the neutral zone, the same in the O zone, are huge tonight. We can't be throwing the puck away, we can't be throwing it blind. We've got to keep control of that puck as much as we can tonight."

Lineup updates

The Stars had an optional skate in the morning, so lines are expected to be the same as they were last game.
Robertson-Hintz-Pavelski
Raffl-Benn-Gurianov
Peterson-Faksa-Radulov
Kiviranta-Seguin-Glendening
Suter-Klingberg
Lindell-Heiskanen
Sekera-Hakanpaa
Oettinger
Holtby
Tyler Seguin played a season-low 15:08 last game. Bowness said the move of Jamie Benn to center has forced some tough decisions, and Seguin has been the odd man out at times. While he's shuffled in and out on different lines and plays in all situations, Seguin was averaging 19 minutes a game earlier in the season, and now is closer to 17.
"We put Jamie at center and it affects all of their ice time," Bowness said. "Jamie has been doing a great job at center, so there's no reason to take that away. Roope was our best forward again, and Faksy does so many good things it cuts into other people's ice time. We said when we did it, as soon as you put Jamie in the middle, somebody's ice time is going to be affected."
For now, it appears Seguin might just have to pick his spots and adjust his game. He has a goal and an assist in his past five games, but the Stars are 4-1-0 in that span.
"His minutes will still be above 15, 16 with the penalty kill and the faceoffs he takes and the power play," Bowness said. "It might affect him a couple of shifts, but it's going to take away a couple of minutes and that's all."
Braden Holtby has missed the past five games with a lower-body injury, but he'll be in as the backup tonight. Anton Khudobin will be a healthy scratch. The Stars are carrying three goalies right now.

Numbers

1.56

Colorado's Nazem Kadri currently sits fourth in NHL scoring at 25 points (seven goals, 18 assists) in 16 games for a scoring average of 1.56 points per game. Kadri's career average is 0.65 points per game.

0

Former Stars winger Valeri Nichushkin has 0 points in four career games against Dallas. However, he has seven points (four goals, three assists) in seven games this season after missing nine games with an upper-body injury. He's plus-8 in that span. Nichushkin is plus-56 in 350 career games.

4

While Dallas didn't play Colorado last season, it currently is on a four-game winning streak against the Avalanche.

He said it

"A lot of little things, blocked shots, things that throughout a game a team feeds off of. We've simplified a couple things, but good commitment, lines are settling in a little bit, guys are feeling the puck a little bit. It's going in the net at times. Understanding our game, we have to be patient at times, and knowing that we're going to create our chances." -- Stars forward Joe Pavelski on what the team did well against Edmonton Tuesday and what has led to a 4-1-0 run for Dallas.
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This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.