Jake Oettinger did just about everything a goalie can do Saturday night. The Dallas Stars just couldn’t cash in enough around him.
Oettinger carried a shutout streak of 188:52 before Connor Dewar finally broke through 1:57 into the third period, and even then the Stars still forced overtime before falling 2-1 in a shootout to the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena.
It was the longest run of Oettinger’s NHL career, built across two straight shutouts. He stopped 13 shots in Dallas’ 5-0 win over the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 5, then turned aside 26 more Thursday in a 4-0 victory at the Buffalo Sabres. In all, he denied 54 consecutive shots before Dewar’s backhand sneaked past him after the puck changed direction off Stars defenseman Lian Bichsel’s stick.
Blake Lizotte picked up the only assist on the goal. After that, Oettinger kept giving Dallas chances to escape with a win anyway.
Tyler Seguin tied it with 30 seconds left in regulation, tipping a Jason Robertson shot past Penguins goalie Arturs Silovs with Oettinger pulled for an extra attacker. In overtime, Oettinger turned away Evgeni Malkin twice in the final minute, according to 93.7 The Fan, but Pittsburgh finished the job in the shootout. Benjamin Kindel, Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell all scored, while Egor Chinakhov hit the post on the Penguins’ other attempt.
Dallas coach Glen Gulutzan was blunt afterward: the Stars have to give their goalie more help.
“(Oettinger) gave us a chance,” Gulutzan said. “You’ve got to score a goal to help him out.
I don’t know. Eight shutout periods?
You can’t ask for more than that. We had to be better in front of him today on the offensive side of things.”
Seguin saw it the same way.
“He was phenomenal,” Seguin said. “He was the real reason we got a point tonight. He was great again and we would have liked to do a little more for him.”
The numbers around Dallas’ start tell the same story. Through five games, the Stars have allowed just seven goals, the fewest in the NHL. Oettinger’s line is even more eye-popping: a 0.74 goals-against average and a .963 save percentage.
The streak Saturday put Oettinger in rare franchise company. Only two goalies in Stars history have gone longer without allowing a goal.
Ben Bishop owns the team mark at 233:04, set in 2018-19, and Ed Belfour reached 219:26 in 2000-01. As a team, Dallas also went 206:08 without giving up a goal, the first time a Stars club has ever done that.
The defense did its part in front of him, blocking 24 shots to Pittsburgh’s 15. Tyler Myers led the way with six blocks. Justin Hryckowian said that kind of buy-in starts with what Oettinger brings every day.
“He’s as dialed (in) as they come,” Hryckowian said. “He takes care of himself away from the rink as well.
He’s a pro’s pro. … When your goalies are dialed in like Jake and Casey (DeSmith), and obviously great guys as well, I think it’s just an added incentive that you want to get in front of those pucks for them.”
Oettinger, 27, was the 26th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. He signed an eight-year, $66 million extension in October 2024 that begins with the 2025-26 season and carries an $8.25 million average annual value.
Casey DeSmith signed a two-year, $5 million extension with Dallas on Sept. 30.
Still, Gulutzan made clear the message isn’t about the goalie - it’s about not squandering what he’s already giving them.
“You don’t want to waste those performances,” Gulutzan said. “We need to create more, we need to be on our toes more.”
Dallas returns home to face the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday at American Airlines Center. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m.
CT. The two teams meet again Wednesday in Denver at 7:30 p.m.
CT.
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