Jake Oettinger Is Back, So Far
Just a quick note to mention my piece in D Magazine this morning about the Stars’ undefeated start and Jake Oettinger’s resurgence.
It was fun to dig into very small sample sizes to find out exactly where Oettinger is leading NHL goaltenders. Did you know he’s already cut the Stars’ expected goals against in half? Well, you are about to know those things.
Here’s one excerpt about some of the added benefits of winning these games, at this time:
Yes, we’re not even five percent of the way into the season, but with other teams scrambling to answer hard questions before things get out of hand, Oettinger has given Dallas the luxury of taking its time. That’s a valuable position to be in, especially when it comes to managing players’ health over the course of a long season. Tyler Seguin missed Tuesday’s game with a lower body injury the team is calling “day to day,” although Pete DeBoer acknowledged that had it been a playoff game, Seguin probably would have played. But because the Stars have been as successful as a team can possibly be, Seguin can rest for a long season.
Anyway, check it out. Should be fun to see whether Dallas can keep finding a way to find ways tonight against Washington.