Jake Oettinger and Connor Hellebuyck have transformed from national teammates into playoff rivals in the most critical games of their respective seasons. However, five games into the Western Conference semifinal series between the Dallas Stars and the Winnipeg Jets, one goaltender has clearly distinguished himself.
Oettinger recorded 31 saves in Tuesday`s 3-1 victory, giving the Stars a commanding 3-1 lead in the series. Throughout the series so far, Oettinger has surrendered only eight goals, boasting a .929 save percentage, while Hellebuyck has allowed 11 goals with an .887 save percentage.
The two goalies were teammates for Team USA during the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in February. In that competition, Hellebuyck started three out of four games, including the overtime loss to Canada in the gold-medal match. But based on Oettinger`s performance in these playoffs, those roles could potentially be reversed when the NHL participates in the 2026 Olympics.
“Aside from winning the Cup, that`s my number one goal,” Oettinger stated to Scott Oake of Sportsnet when questioned about the possibility of starting for his country at the Olympics. “It`s a long way off, there`s a lot of hockey still to be played… I can think about that when the time comes.”
If Oettinger maintains this level of play through the playoffs, it`s quite possible that both of his aspirations could be realized in the near future.
Tristan Blackwood