Oettinger Kept Columbus Waiting

The scoreboard stayed calm because Jake Oettinger kept it that way. The Dallas Stars goaltender stopped 18 Columbus shots through the first two periods, then watched a two-goal advantage shrink to 2-1 before Arttu Hyry’s empty-net goal at 19:59 secured a 3-1 victory Saturday at American Airlines Center.

Dallas received a .960 save percentage from its starting goalie and needed most of it. Oettinger faced 25 shots against the Stars’ 17, yet Columbus still had only one goal when the game ended. He gave the early Dallas scoring a chance to remain decisive through two much quieter offensive periods.

Damon Severson’s goal at 6:21 of the third period changed the temperature of the game. Dallas had entered the period with a two-goal cushion, yet the Blue Jackets needed only one goal to make the final stretch uncomfortable.

Columbus recorded seven shots in the period and scored once; Dallas produced three shots in the period, including Hyry’s empty-net finish, the 17th and final entry in its total.

That is a thin offensive margin for a team protecting a one-goal lead. The score remained 2-1 from Severson’s goal until the final second, when Hyry ended the suspense without having to beat a set goaltender. The goal counted exactly as it should, and it mattered greatly, but it should not disguise how much of the closing burden belonged to Oettinger.

The imbalance began in the second period. Each team put nine shots on goal in the opening frame, but Columbus held a 9-5 edge in the middle period and finished with a 25-17 advantage overall. Oettinger had stopped all 18 Columbus shots through the second intermission.

He gave Dallas the rare luxury of a scoreless second period that preserved its entire lead, even while the Blue Jackets generated more shots.

The early lead offered Oettinger some protection in return. Rantanen converted at 2:16 on Dallas’ first power play, with assists for Robertson and Johnston. Dallas scored on one of its two advantages; the Blue Jackets could not convert their lone opportunity. Oettinger stopped all three Columbus shots during that penalty kill. He helped preserve the special-teams advantage his teammates had created.

Thomas Harley added the second goal at 19:59 of the opening period. Hyry and Miro Heiskanen assisted, and Dallas carried a 2-0 lead into the intermission despite Columbus matching its nine shots.

The goal’s value was larger than its place in the scoring summary: it created enough separation for Oettinger to turn a manageable lead into a victory instead of having to protect a tie through the second period.

Dallas’ attackers deserve credit for making limited opportunities count. Rantanen had the power-play goal and three shots. Harley scored on one of his two shots. Those were efficient contributions, with Greaves stopping 14 of the 16 shots he faced before Columbus pulled him. The Stars were not firing into an impenetrable net; they simply did not fire often enough.

Hyry supplied the most varied offensive contribution. He recorded one goal, one assist and four shots in 15:23, assisting on Harley’s goal before later scoring the insurance marker. His first point helped create the two-goal cushion, while his empty-net goal finished the job.

Heiskanen added two assists in 26:12, connecting him to both the first-period cushion and the final goal. That was meaningful production from more than one line of the scoresheet, even if the overall attack remained modest.

The favorable reading is clear. Dallas scored twice in the first period, converted its first power play and received a 24-save performance from Oettinger. Timely finishing can win games, and the Stars used their opportunities better than Columbus used its larger supply of shots. A 3-1 result is not an accounting error simply because one team needed its goalie more.

It is, however, a warning about the cost of low volume. Oettinger’s .960 save percentage made Dallas’ attack survivable; it cannot be treated as the attack’s replacement. Dallas can enjoy the two points and still ask its offense to give No. 29 a less exacting evening next time.

Sources

NHL: official final box score

NHL: official play-by-play

NHL: official game summary and completion time

Stars: regional broadcast territory