Sam’s Story: Oettinger Perfect, Stars Outlast Caps 2-0 in Physical Matchup

For a 2-0 Stars victory, Thursday’s game against the Washington Capitals had plenty of action. 

The first goal didn’t come until late in the first period. After an elongated shift from Dallas in the offensive zone, the top line stepped on the ice and Jason Robertson tipped a Nils Lundkvist shot over the right shoulder of Darcy Kuemper. It was Robertson’s third goal of the season and his first game-winner.

Stars make key plays when it matters. 

From there, it was all about key plays. Joel Hanley breaking up a 2-on-1, Jake Oettinger cleaning up his own turnover, countless high-danger shifts from Tyler Seguin, Denis Gurianov, and Mason Marchment, and eventually a solo mission for Joel Kiviranta, who stole a puck shorthanded and beat Kuemper on the backhand late in the third. 

When it mattered most, Dallas made plays. And when they got their chances, they found a way to convert just enough to squeeze out a win. 

Kuemper & Oettinger do battle. 

Kuemper did everything he could to keep Dallas at bay. Although he has struggled this season, he shined against the Stars, finishing with 25 saves on 27 shots. Without his lunging side-to-side stops on Wyatt Johnston, Lundkvist, and a few others, the Caps would have been down and out far earlier. 

While the Caps had a much better second period, the Stars controlled possession and had the better of the scoring chances for most of the night. A large part of that was their dominance in the faceoff circle, as they won 68% of the draws in the game. Jamie Benn was the best on the dot for Dallas. 

Jake Oettinger didn't look his comfortable self, instead fumbling some pucks and looking puzzled at times. But in the end, he got the job done, stopping all 27 shots that Washington threw his way and earning his first shutout of the season. 

The 23-year-old played a big role in the Stars holding onto the lead as they took on a bit of water late in the third period. He now holds a .960 save percentage and continues to rank among the league's-best.  

The victory gets Dallas back in the win column after losing three of four on the recent road trip. The Stars now sit at 4-2-1. 

Sam’s Three Stars

• First Star: Jason Robertson, DAL (game-winning goal)
• Second Star: Darcy Kuemper, WSH (25 saves on 27 shots)
• Third Star: The second line of Gurianov, Seguin, and Marchment