EDMONTON — Hemming and hawing after being asked for an assessment of his goaltender, Pete DeBoer eventually offered up as generic a compliment as he could muster.
“Listen, we wouldn’t be sitting here in the conference finals without Jake Oettinger,” said the Stars coach following a 6-1 loss at Rogers Place.
“Tonight was one of those games where they were opportunistic, and once they got the lead, we’re pushing to get back in, and then there’s Grade A’s the other way.
“One thing I know about Jake Oettinger, for me, is he’s one of the best response goalies in the league, and I know he’s not going to drag around tonight’s game.”
Down 2-1 in a series that has been dominated by the Oilers, there’s no time to wallow.
Oettinger is indeed a world-class goalie, who entered the West Final much like he did last year: as the guy expected to give his team a significant edge in net.
However, also like last year, Stuart Skinner has been the better of the two, as Skinner’s 21 saves in the second period alone can attest.
It was in that frame that the Stars put enough pressure on the Oilers for the visiting coach and several players to suggest afterwards they felt really good about their game.
How crushing it must be, then, for it to be nowhere near good enough.
“I think Skinner was the difference-maker tonight,” said first-round magician Mikko Rantanen, who hit the post and had two out shots stymied by ol’ Stuey.
“I think he was really good. He made key saves, even when it was 3-1. You know, Segi (Tyler Seguin) had a Grade A in the slot that he makes a save on, and 10 seconds later it’s 4-1. So he was the MVP of the match, I would say.”
That was supposed to be Oettinger’s gig.
While none of the half dozen Oilers goals were egregious whiffs on Oettinger’s behalf, at this time of year, several of those finishes need to be snuffed out.
He couldn’t do that, putting the Stars in a significant hole in which they’ll now need to dig out of by sweeping their two home dates and winning at least once in Alberta.
While not impossible, it probably felt that way Sunday afternoon when Skinner was turning back a barrage of shots from a team desperate to regain its scoring touch.
“It’s sometimes tough when you get so many chances — 22 shots in the second and only got one goal, it’s frustrating,” said Rantanen.
“It’s sometimes hard to not let the frustration come, but we gotta do our best to not let it come to our minds.”
By game’s end, the Stars outshot the Oilers 34-24 and had 14 high-danger scoring chances to the host team’s eight.
Hampering their efforts to match Edmonton’s firepower was the loss of first-line centre Roope Hintz, who tried and failed to get through the pre-game warmup.
A five-minute spin was cut short following a chat with trainers, as the late slash from Darnell Nurse in Game 2 somehow made it too painful to skate.
It forced the Stars to start rookie Oskar Bäck on the top line, who quickly gave way to Jason Robertson.
“Deflating when he can’t go,” admitted Rantanen, whose club has plenty of reasons to feel down as the momentum has shifted sharply in Edmonton’s favour.
“Obviously one of our best players and a really good two-way centre man who can really change the game.”
Struggling mightily throughout the playoffs at 5-on-5, the Stars need Oettinger to be, well, Oettinger.
Allowing 12 goals through the first three games of the series won’t cut it.
A late first period (Evan) Bouch(ard) Bomb was followed 36 seconds later by a slow-motion 3-on-1 finished by McDavid that had the Stars on their heels. But when Robertson’s first of the playoffs narrowed the gap late in a second period, the Stars dominated, McDavid stepped on their throats with 18 ticks left in a period in which the Stars outshot Edmonton 22-7.
“Tonight we were without our No. 1 centre, we were on the road in a tough environment and I thought we played a really good hockey game for a big stretch of that game, so there’s nothing to be emotional or upset about,” said DeBoer, doing his best to remain calm for his veteran group.
“I think you have to be realistic with your group. I liked our compete, and a lot of parts of our game, and we’ve got to build on that, get Roope Hintz back and get back into the series.”
A few big saves would help, too.
