EDMONTON — Given the heaviness that can weigh on a team following two straight playoff losses, Pete DeBoer was asked Monday about the notion of someone in his room trying to keep things light.
“I don’t think we’re a light, fun bunch,” said the Dallas Stars coach, who parked his own intensity for a few seconds by flashing a slight grin.
“Listen, I had Joe Thornton and Brent Burns in the Stanley Cup Final, walking down the streets of Pittsburgh without their shirts on.
“We’re not those guys.
“They enjoy themselves. They’re a serious group but they have a quiet veteran confidence to them about being comfortable playing this time of year and being comfortable playing in these situations, behind in a series and in tight games.
“That’s the confidence you get from having been here before.”
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Stanley Cup Playoffs on Sportsnet
The Edmonton Oilers host the Dallas Stars in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final with a chance to go up 3-1 in the series. Watch the game live on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ on Tuesday with coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET/ 5:30 p.m. MT.
Which brings us to Jake Oettinger.
A focal point in the series after allowing a dozen goals over the first three games, Oettinger sat calmly in his stall after Monday’s practice, exhibiting the type of chill that comes with having 63 springtime contests under one’s belt at the tender age of 26.
“I just believe I’m one of the best goalies in the world and I’m built for a moment like this,” said Oettinger, whose play in the first two rounds had plenty to do with how the Stars got to their third straight Western Conference Final.
“This is what I’ve worked my whole life for.
“You let in six goals last game and think about it for five minutes, and never think about it again. I think that’s one of my best qualities. Now it’s just up to me to make sure I can play my best game.”
He’ll have to if the complexion of this series has a chance at changing.
Down 2-1 in a series the Edmonton Oilers have had significant control of, this is Oettinger’s moment to come up with the sort of performance his team needed so sorely in last year’s six-game series loss here.
Losing the goaltending battle to Stuart Skinner in 2024 is just one of the motivators for him and his group.
“This is what we wanted all summer, and all year, after they knocked us out last year,” said Oettinger, whose coming-out party was played out in Alberta three years ago when he posted a .954 save percentage in a seven-game loss to Calgary.
“I’ve been working for this game for a year to have the opportunity to beat these guys in here.
“You can learn from every playoff run. I’ve taken a lot from that and worked my butt off to get to this point again. We’re still a long way from our ultimate goal. We’ve been this close the last two years and haven’t made the most of it. So, it’s up to us.”
As serious and focused a lad as Oettinger is, he’s one of the few goalies in the league who is okay talking to the media on game days.
Surrounded by a throng of reporters after Monday’s skate, he chuckled when asked if he heard the crowd’s chants of “Jaaaa-ccccob” at Rogers Place.
“I’m assuming that was about me, yeah,” he smiled.
“It’s all part of the ups and downs of the playoffs. That’s the great thing about playoff hockey, if you don’t play the game you want to, you get to play again 48 hours later.”
Scoring at five-on-five continues to be an issue for the Stars in this series, making it all the more important Oettinger returns to the form that has made him one of the league’s top goalies over the last few years.
“The last person in our group I’m worried about is Jake Oettinger and how he’s going to play here moving forward,” said DeBoer, whose netminder had a 2.24 goals-against average last spring, and currently sits at 2.76.
Aiding Oettinger’s cause would be a return to the lineup by Roope Hintz, who has been out since taking a slash to the foot from Darnell Nurse in Game 2.
Speaking for the first time since the incident on Monday, the Stars’ top-line centre wasn’t interested in getting into the nature of the slash or the injury. Nor was he able to provide any clarity on when he’ll be ready to return.
“Of course you want to play every game, especially in the playoffs when every game is so important, but sometimes sports are what they are and you can’t,” said Hintz, who tested his foot in Sunday’s pre-game warmup before leaving five minutes later.
“That’s why I’m trying everything that I can to play (Tuesday). I have played (for many years) so I know when it’s good and when it’s not, so I should know when it comes to that decision.
“Of course you need to be able to skate when you play hockey, especially in the playoffs.”
