Jake Oettinger leads Stars to third straight conference final win

The Dallas Stars are advancing to the Western Conference Final for the third consecutive year. They defeated the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 in overtime Saturday to sweep their second-round series in six games. They face the Edmonton Oilers again, beginning Wednesday night. After disappointing losses in 2023 and 2024, the Stars think things will go differently this time. Coach Pete DeBoer says they have something special and can't wait to show it.

Jake Oettinger rises to challenge as Stars defeat top teams
Dallas had to defeat two excellent teams to reach this point. They defeated the Colorado Avalanche in seven games missing two of their top players, defenseman Miro Heiskanen and leading scorer Jason Robertson. Then they defeated the Jets, who sported the NHL's top regular season and a top-of-the-line goaltender in Connor Hellebuyck.


Heiskanen played for just three games, and Robertson has not scored a single goal in the playoffs. The numbers of many other players such as Jamie Benn, Matt Duchene, Mason Marchment, and Evgenii Dadonov have also been low. Still, the team managed to win games.

This Jake Oettinger save was a thing of beauty🔥

pic.twitter.com/EeuQQTmd1d

— Everything Hockey (@EHClothing) May 18, 2025

Goaltender Jake Oettinger has been a prime reason. He made a save to win the game in the late stages of Game 6 and has been solid as a rock all postseason. He's 8-5 with an 8-5 record, 2.47 goals against, and a .919 save percentage. In the series, he outdueled Hellebuyck with a .929 save percentage.


Coach DeBoer said Oettinger stood up to one of the best players in the world and possessed tremendous strength. "Great character, gut-check by Jake," he stated.

Mikko Rantanen shines through while Sam Steel and others play a big role

The Dallas squad of this year is different from last year because of their signings mostly. The top scorer during the playoffs is Mikko Rantanen, who was signed before the playoffs. Seven points have been contributed by forward Mikael Granlund. Defenseman Cody Ceci has been an enormous signing for the team.


But it's not solely the stars. Guys such as Sam Steel and Alexander Petrovic have contributed with big scores. Steel tied Game 6 when the Stars trailed. Dallas has also featured incredible power plays and good penalty kills, which are massive in close playoff games.


The question on everyone's lips now: what happens if Robertson and Heiskanen get back to full strength? And what happens if Benn, Duchene, Dadonov, and Marchment return to the scoresheet? "We still have another gear," Heiskanen said. "Hopefully we can do that in the next round."


The Oilers are a high-scoring threat, and they are cap-topped with superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. They also possess depth and desperation after losing in last year's Stanley Cup Final. Oettinger stated the team has already endured much but still has a lot to offer. "I think our best hockey is yet to come," he said.


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