What Went Wrong: Stars Ousted in Seven Despite Oettinger's Efforts

The last piece of the second-round puzzle was filled late on Sunday, May 15, as the Dallas Stars faced off against the Calgary Flames in Game Seven of their Pacific Division Semifinal series. This was a series that didn't see a lot of scoring, and it was the most tame of the eight series that were played, but even this one had its moments. Each of the first two games were shutouts; a 1-0 win from Calgary in Game One, and a 2-0 win from Dallas in Game Two. The scoring didn't really pick up from there, but in spite of this, the teams made it to seven games, and the finale ended up going to overtime.

In the end, however, Johnny Gaudreau's goal made the difference, and Dallas' season came to an end. The Stars weren't that far removed from their improbable run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020, which included a six-game series win over the Flames. Prior to that, the Stars fell one win short of the Final Four as a Wild Card in 2019, but after reaching the Final in 2020, the Stars missed the playoffs entirely. This year, the Stars were the last team to nab a playoff spot, and they really went toe-to-toe with the Flames in their opening round series.

However, the reason why Dallas didn't win is the answer to the titular question: the offense was MIA.

Jake Oettinger played out of his mind in net for the entire series. He started all seven games, went 3-4, had a GAA of 1.81, a .954 SV%, and a shutout in Game Two. Those are beastly numbers, especially that GAA! When a goaltender has a sub-2.00 GAA in a playoff series, one often thinks he won it. Sadly, he didn't, and that's because Dallas scored a grand total of 14 goals in that series, an even two goals per game. Oettinger's performance includes racking up 64 saves in a losing effort in Game Seven.

The Stars really failed to capitalize on Oettinger being a brick wall. Here's how bad it was. The points leader on the team? Joe Pavelski--the oldest player on the team. Pavelski (who's done this whole playoff thing many times before) had six points; three goals, three assists, and scored two of Dallas' three game winning goals. The other one was scored by Miro Heiskanen; it was his only one and he had only two assists to go with it. Jason Robertson, Dallas' best kept secret who led the team in goals? He also only scored once. Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn also disappeared offensively in the series. It was absolutely disappointing. Oettinger was the only reason why that series went seven games, because if he had crumbled at any point, it would have been over much quicker.

It can be said that the sky is the limit for the Dallas Stars, and it would be true. However, there's one teeny, tiny problem that the Stars have to face: they're in the Central Division. Soccer fans are familiar with the phrase "group of death," referring to that one group that's stacked with powerhouses. The current iteration of the Central Division has been the NHL's group of death since it was formed in the 2013-14 season. The Stars are a formidable team, but remember, the Avalanche are monstrous, the Blues are beastly, the Wild are pesky, and the Predators are insanely dangerous. The Winnipeg Jets are also loaded, but they missed the playoffs this season because somebody had to! The Stars better do whatever they have to do to stay afloat in that Central, because that division is going to deliver both of the West's Wild Cards for years to come. Right now, they can be a perennial Wild Card...maybe. But if they lose any important piece, the Jets could bounce back and pass them next year, and that would place the Stars out of the loop.

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