In Game 5 of the Western Conference Final, with the Dallas Stars on the brink of elimination, goalie Jake Oettinger allowed two goals on the first two shots from the Edmonton Oilers. This prompted Stars coach Pete DeBoer to remove Oettinger from the game only 7 minutes and 9 seconds in, replacing him with backup Casey DeSmith.
Casey DeSmith finished the game, allowing three goals on 20 shots as the Stars lost Game 5 with a final score of 6-3. This defeat marked the third year in a row Dallas was eliminated in the Western Conference Final.
Oettinger later addressed the situation during the Stars` season-ending media session.
“It sucks. It`s embarrassing. Whenever you get pulled, in the playoffs or regular season, you just want to leave the ice, hide away, and not speak to anyone,” Oettinger described the experience.
Before Game 4, DeBoer mentioned the coaching staff had considered resting Oettinger, citing his league-leading minutes played among goalies and a concern about an “upper-respiratory thing.”
Despite the circumstances, both DeBoer and Oettinger downplayed any suggestion of a conflict between them.
DeBoer stated, “No one is a bigger fan of Jake Oettinger than me, both as a person and a goalie,” adding that they had not yet spoken since Thursday`s Game 5.
Oettinger reflected:
“For me, it`s about learning from this whole experience. It will help me grow as a person and a goalie. My focus is stopping the puck; I believe I`m one of the world`s best when I`m playing well. The rest is just noise. If I`m the best goalie next year, this situation won`t matter. It doesn`t matter who`s coaching. I`ll just try to be my best and learn from this.”
However, Oettinger did struggle at times in the Western Conference Final, finishing the five games against the Oilers with a 3.20 goals-against-average and a .853 save percentage.
The Stars frequently trailed in the playoffs (falling behind in 15 of 18 games), which might explain DeBoer`s quick decision to pull Oettinger. However, the first two goals in Game 5 weren`t necessarily Oettinger`s fault, particularly the second which was a breakaway by Mattias Janmark.
Prior to Game 5, Oettinger had a solid outing, allowing only two goals on 31 shots in Game 4. Unfortunately for the Stars, they scored one goal or less for the third game in a row, leaving them in a 3-1 series deficit entering the decisive game.
