First Shift 🏒
Two of the best goalies in the NHL will square off when the Stars and Jets open up their Second Round series on Wednesday night.
They’re also two goalies who played for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off and know each other pretty well, so the competition should be a key in which team gains the upper hand.
“It’s fun, you always want to go against the best,” said Stars goalie Jake Oettinger of facing Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck. “He’s about to be a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and it doesn’t get much better than that. It’s going to be a great series. Goals aren’t going to be easy to come by for us, so you just have to take his eyes away.”
Hellebuyck won the Vezina in 2020 and 2024 and is the hands down favorite to win it again this year. In fact, after posting a 47-12-3 record with a 2.00 GAA, .925 save percentage and eight shutouts, there is talk that he could win the Hart Trophy as league MVP. That’s an impressive season. But Oettinger was no shrinking violet. He was third in wins at 36-18-4 and had a 2.58 GAA and a .909 save percentage. The two shared the crease at the 4 Nations, and both are the leading candidates to be the starter for Team USA at the 2026 Olympics.
“I think it’s obviously a great opportunity for Jake,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “Hellebuyck is kind of the bar in the league for goalies, especially young American goalies. He’s a Vezina candidate every year, best numbers in the league every year, that’s always a guy you’re trying to chase and hunt down. And Jake is a competitive guy. I think he wants that opportunity to play against a guy who is the best.”
Oettinger has the advantage on the comparison chart with his playoff performance. The 26-year-old has gotten Dallas to the Western Conference Final in each of the past two seasons and has a 27-25 playoff record with a 2.52 GAA and .915 save percentage. Hellebuyck is 22-30 in the playoffs with a 2.98 GAA and .902 save percentage in the postseason. Last year, he had a 5.23 GAA and .864 save percentage in a First Round loss to Colorado. This season, he was pulled twice against St. Louis, and has a 3.85 GAA and .830 save percentage through the first seven games. That has created some questions about his abilities in the playoffs.
DeBoer said that’s not the focus.
“I’m sure he’s going to be great,” DeBoer said. “I’m sure we’re going to see the guy who is up for the Vezina and we have to be prepared for that.”
Hellebuyck went 3-1-0 against the Stars this season and told reporters in Winnipeg that he’s looking forward to a reset after the First Round.
“I think there was definitely a moment there where I was able to take my game to another level," Hellebuyck said of helping the Jets to a 4-3 win in double overtime in Game 7. "And feeling that, it definitely gives you some momentum and some confidence going into the next round. That being said, we're in some new territory that we haven't been in in a little while. I'm really excited. It's a restart for me. Who cares about what just happened? We got through it, and moving forward here I'm really excited to put my best foot forward and do my job."
Oettinger said the Stars often talk about the areas in front of the goalies. They want to keep the area in front of him clean and they want to create as many distractions in front of the opposing goalie. It worked against Colorado and he’s hoping it will work against Winnipeg.
“He’s very cerebral,” Oettinger said of getting to know Hellebuyck at the 4 Nations tournament. “He knows the position really well and he knows what works for him. He’s had a ton of success doing things the way he does. I just got to learn a lot from him.”
One of the things that could help in the battle is the potential return of top defenseman Miro Heiskanen. He’s been out since late January with a knee injury, but is close to returning. Likewise, forward Jason Robertson appears to be close to returning after missing the First Round with a lower-body injury. Oettinger said both would be welcome additions.
“We all know what we’re missing right now,” Oettinger said. “Miro, in my opinion, is the best defenseman in the NHL and Robo has had 110 points in a season, so the fact we don’t have those two guys, we’re doing well. That shows how deep we are as a team and if we can add them it will help us even more.”
Which, bottom line, is the key to this battle. As good as the goalies are, the team that plays better has the best chance to win.
“Obviously we were missing Miro and Robo the whole first round, they’re two elite players. Whenever we get them back it’s going to help give us even more depth,” Rantanen said. “But I think the depth is a really big key in a Cup run. And I got to say, Otter is a difference-maker and a really, really good goalie. It’s 2-0 and he made some key saves. If they score to make it 3-0, it’s probably over and they’re celebrating now. He’s one of the best goalies in the world.’’
