Oettinger Does the Heavy Lifting as Dallas Stars Beat Columbus 3-1.

By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews

DALLAS, Texas — The Dallas Stars needed a win Saturday night. Jake Oettinger made sure they got one.

Oettinger helped Dallas defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 at American Airlines Center, ending a two-game losing streak while earning his 225th career victory, including regular-season and playoff games. The milestone moved him past Kari Lehtonen for second place in Stars franchise history, behind Marty Turco’s 283 wins.

But despite the victory, Dallas spent much of the final 40 minutes defending its own net.

Coach Glen Gulutzan wasn’t pleased with that part.

“I thought we got out played for 40. We were in our back half too much. We’re not playing our best hockey right now and you need something to bail you out,” Gulutzan said.

Dallas Strikes Early and at the Buzzer

After allowing five goals in each of their previous two games, the Stars got an early break when Columbus goaltender Jet Greaves sent the puck over the glass while attempting a clearance.

The delay-of-game penalty gave Dallas its first power play just 1:43 into the game.

Thirty-three seconds later, Mikko Rantanen scored his seventh goal of the season, finishing a passing sequence involving Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston.

American Airlines Center erupted, but Columbus quickly responded.

The Blue Jackets created several dangerous chances, including an opportunity for Adam Fantilli following a pass from Conor Garland. Oettinger made the save.

The physical play intensified as well. Lian Bichsel battled aggressively for possession, while Jamie Benn exchanged words with a Columbus player following a whistle.

Then came an unlikely finish to the period.

With the clock approaching zero, Thomas Harley fired the puck toward the Columbus net. It went in at 19:59, giving Dallas a 2-0 lead.

“It’s a good thing I didn’t shoot it .3 second later,” Harley joked afterward.

Columbus Takes Control

The second period was a different game.

Columbus outshot Dallas 10-5, repeatedly working the puck around the Stars’ defensive zone and forcing Oettinger to make saves through traffic.

Dallas struggled to establish sustained offensive pressure. Several attempted clearances failed, leaving defenders battling for loose pucks around the crease.

Oettinger stopped shots from Zach Werenski and Mathieu Olivier, among others.

The Stars also killed a hooking penalty against Nils Lundkvist, extending their streak to 27 consecutive successful penalty kills over eight games.

By the second intermission, Columbus led 19-14 in shots.

Dallas still led 2-0, but Oettinger was getting considerably more work than his counterpart.

One Timeout, One Overturned Goal

Columbus appeared to finally break through early in the third period when Valeri Nichushkin scored following a failed Dallas clearance.

Instead of immediately challenging, Gulutzan called a timeout to allow his video staff additional time to examine a possible offside.

The decision paid off.

Officials overturned the goal, preserving Dallas’s two-goal advantage and sending the crowd into loud “Let’s Go Stars!” chants.

Columbus eventually scored at 6:21 when Damon Severson beat Oettinger, cutting the lead to 2-1.

The Blue Jackets continued pressing. Garland missed an opportunity near an open Dallas net, while Oettinger made several more saves as the Stars struggled to clear their zone.

With Columbus’s goaltender pulled late, Tyler Seguin narrowly missed the empty net.

Arttu Hyry finally secured the victory with an empty-net goal at 19:59, assisted by Benn and Miro Heiskanen.

Dallas had scored with one second remaining in both the first and third periods.

Two Points, but Work Remains

The victory also marked David Perron’s Stars debut and Esa Lindell’s return from injury.

Perron acknowledged needing time to adjust.

“The first and second period was a little fast almost,” he said. “I felt like the third [period] was better.”

Lindell said Friday’s team meeting helped address recent problems.

“It was a good meeting yesterday with honest feedback,” he said.

Harley acknowledged that Dallas became too defensive while protecting its lead.

“I think we’d like to play a little more aggressively and not sit back quite as much.”

Gulutzan agreed.

“I thought we defended too much. We defended hard and blocked shots. We shouldn’t have been in that position.”

Dallas improved to 8-5-1 and finished its six-game homestand with a victory. Columbus fell to 5-7-0.

The Stars got the result they needed, but Gulutzan made no attempt to disguise who deserved most of the credit.