Dream come true: Stars rookie primed for first start against Red Wings

Stars (3-0-0, 6 points) vs. Red Wings (2-4-1, 4 points)

DALLAS -- Jake Oettinger will get his first NHL start Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings.
Oettinger, 22, was a Stars' first-round pick in 2017 (26th overall) and has a solid pedigree. He was a Hockey East All-Star at Boston University and a five-time participant for Team USA (including winning a gold and a bronze in World Junior Championships). He went 15-16-4 with the Texas Stars last season, posting a 2.57 goals against average and .917 save percentage.
Stars coach Rick Bowness said it was time to get Oettinger in a game. The Stars are scheduled to play Saturday and Sunday at Carolina, and Oettinger was likely to get one of those games. Because of that, the coaching staff feels this is a good chance to get Oettinger over the potential nerves.

"We certainly didn't want to let him sit for too long," Bowness said. "Every time you throw a rookie goalie in, he's earned the right to be there. Some guys are nervous and they get better as their careers go on. Some guys, it doesn't rattle whatsoever. We won't know that until we see Jake play tonight."
Oettinger said in training camp that this would be a big game for him.
"That's been in the back of my head ever since I got back from the bubble," Oettinger said. "Obviously, all the work that I put in the last few months, especially the last couple weeks in Dallas, it's all going to lead up to that. I've been dreaming of that day since I first put on pads and I think it's something I'm really looking forward to."
Oettinger served as the team's backup for much of the playoff bubble in Edmonton, as Anton Khudobin was starting and Ben Bishop was sidelined by an injury. He got into two games and stopped all eight shots he faced. Bowness said that being with the team was huge for Oettinger's preparation.

"It's everything," Bowness said. "That's why we wanted all of those kids up in the bubble, being around the team, being around the meetings, being around the players. Just exposure to what NHL life is all about and being a good pro. Jake was on the bench, he was in the room, practices, he was involved in every one of them. All of those things helped him prepare."
Several players talked to Oettinger on the ice at the morning skate, and he spent plenty of time with goalie coach Jeff Reese. Bowness said Oettinger should feel that support.
"We're all looking forward to see him play. He's a great kid, he's a great prospect, and he needs to play," Bowness said. "Reeser does a great job with him. We all talk to the kid, but Jeff works him on a daily basis, and Jeff has got him prepared. That's the bottom line."

No, really, these aregame-time decisions

Bowness chuckled at the back and forth between himself and the media when it comes to injuries. As much as the coach would love to give detailed reports, he said a lot of time he doesn't know.
"Literally, when we say there are game-time decisions … there are game-time decisions," Bowness said with a laugh.
Tonight is another one of those nights. Jamie Benn (lower body) and Blake Comeau (exiting COVID protocol) both skated this morning, but are not expected to play in the game. Roope Hintz (lower body) skated and will be a game-time decision.

Hintz's availability is important, because the Stars carry two extra defenseman and last game had defenseman Mark Pysyk play forward because Hintz wasn't available. Bowness said the coaching staff had a clue after Tuesday's morning skate that Hintz might be out, but waited until the evening to tell Pysyk he would move up to forward.
Bowness said he wasn't quite sure and knew that Pysyk could handle the late alert.
That's sort of the way of these things right now. With COVID-19 shutting down teams and practices, and extra players working out with the team on the taxi squad, the Stars believe they can handle anything that comes at them.

Lineup updates

Piecing together Wednesday's practice and Tuesday's game with the information from this morning, it looks like Benn and Comeau won't play tonight, and that Roope Hintz might.
If Hintz is out, Justin Dowling will likely center a line with Jason Dickinson and Denis Gurianov. If Hintz can play, he will be in that spot, and Dowling would likely drop to the fourth line with Nick Caamano and either Rhett Gardner or Joel L'Esperance. If Hintz can't play, both Gardner and L'Esperance could play or Mark Pysyk could play forward again.
Joel Hanley would step in on defense if Pysyk moves up to a forward spot.

By the numbers

56.3

The Stars have hit on 56.3 percent of their power-play attempts to start the season (9-for-16). They also have scored a power-play goal in three consecutive games.

12

John Klingberg has 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in 11 career games against the Red Wings.

110-110-38

The Stars have a 110-110-38 career record against the Red Wings, including 5-0-2 in the past seven meetings at American Airlines Center.

He said it

"The lineup has changed quite a bit in the first three games already, but the resiliency of the group and the amount of pride the guys take is impressive. Everybody is jumping over the boards ready to do their job, you really see everybody buying in."
-- Pysyk on how the team has dealt with adversity

Stars projected lineup

Jason Dickinson - Roope Hintz - Denis Gurianov
Tanner Kero - Joe Pavelski - Alexander Radulov
Andrew Cogliano - Radek Faksa - Ty Dellandrea
Nick Caamano - Justin Dowling - Mark Pysyk
Esa Lindell - John Klingberg
Miro Heiskanen - Jamie Oleksiak
Joel Hanley - Andrej Sekera
Jake Oettinger
Anton Khudobin
Scratched: Taylor Fedun
Injured: Jamie Benn (lower body), Joel Kiviranta (lower body), Blake Comeau (COVID protocol), Ben Bishop (offseason knee surgery), Tyler Seguin (offseason knee surgery), Stephen Johns (post-traumatic headaches)
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, and listen to his podcast.