Jake Oettinger and the Dallas Stars aim to continue their fast start to the season on Tuesday night when they visit the Buffalo Sabres.
Signed to an eight-year, $66 million contract extension on Thursday, Oettinger paid immediate dividends by turning aside 30 shots in Dallas’ 4-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.
Oettinger came 2 minutes and 22 seconds away from his second shutout of the young season. As it stands, his 4-0-0 record, 1.48 goals-against average and .953 save percentage are pretty impressive in their own right.
“It’s a great start to the season,” Oettinger said. “We want to be the way we were last year. We felt like we weren’t stressed last year at all. We were in the driver’s seat the whole year, and that’s what you want.”
The high-powered Stars are being driven by a number of players, but a pair of 21-year-old forwards are making their mark.
Wyatt Johnston, who led the team with 32 goals last season, recorded five points (one goal, four assists) in his first five games before being held off the scoresheet versus the Oilers.
Logan Stankoven set up a pair of goals against Edmonton, boosting his team-leading assist total to seven and tying him for top honors on the club in points (seven) with Roope Hintz.
“I think they can both be point-a-game guys in this league. Is that in the cards for this year?” Dallas coach Peter DeBoer said. “For (Johnston), it definitely is. For Logan, let’s hope so but it’s a lot to ask for him. He’s going to be playing second power-play unit, not killing penalties, more of a depth player in our lineup. He’s going to score a lot of big points for us this year, but I don’t want to hang that on him just yet.”
Johnston scored a goal in the second period of Dallas’ 3-2 win against Buffalo last season on April 9.
Oettinger turned aside 66 of 69 shots in two meetings last season versus the Sabres to improve to 4-0-1 in his career against Buffalo.
The Sabres will begin a four-game homestand on Tuesday night after totaling three points on their three-game road trip (1-1-1).
JJ Peterka returned from a two-game absence due to a concussion to provide a dominating presence on the trek with four goals, including the go-ahead marker late in the second period of Buffalo’s 4-2 win at Chicago on Saturday.
Linemates Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch are contributing as well, with the former collecting three goals and two assists during his four-game point streak and the latter boasting team-best totals in assists (five) and points (seven).
“The line on the whole is generating opportunities,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “They’re generating opportunities different ways — some is in the zone; some is on the rush. So, it’s good to have a line like that that’s clicking.”
What is failing to click is the Sabres’ power play, which is 0-for-21 on the young season.
