Oettinger Shuts Out Hometown Team as Stars Blank Wild 3-0

DALLAS, TX – Jake Oettinger was flawless against his home-state team, stopping all 32 shots he faced as the Dallas Stars defeated the Minnesota Wild 3-0 on Monday night.

Oettinger, a native of Lakeville, Minnesota—just 20 miles south of the Twin Cities—continued his dominance over the Wild, improving to 7-0-2 against them in regular-season play. The win also extended his home winning streak to eight games, dating back to late January.

The Stars broke the deadlock late in the second period with two quick goals just 58 seconds apart. Wyatt Johnston redirected Thomas Harley’s blue-line shot for a power-play goal at 15:01. Less than a minute later, Matt Duchene capitalized on a screen, firing a shot from the right circle past Filip Gustavsson at 15:59.

Mason Marchment sealed the victory with an empty-net goal in the final minute.

Gustavsson, who had been stellar the previous week with a 3-0-0 record and NHL First Star of the Week honors, finished with 26 saves for Minnesota.

Roope Hintz contributed two assists for Dallas, which has been red-hot at home, going 10-0-1 in its last 11 games. The Stars now sit six points behind first-place Winnipeg in the Central Division and hold a five-point lead over third-place Colorado.

Minnesota saw its three-game winning streak come to an end but remains in a strong position in the Western Conference wild-card race, trailing Colorado by four points in the division. The Wild suffered a setback when defenseman Declan Chisholm left the game late in the second period.

Oettinger’s stellar night was highlighted by a crucial glove save on Marcus Johansson’s point-blank chance during Minnesota’s fourth and final power play midway through the third period.

Dallas remains nearly unbeatable when leading after two periods, improving to 31-1-1 in such situations. Their only loss came in overtime against the Wild on Dec. 27.

Up Next

Minnesota returns home to face Vegas on Tuesday in the second half of a back-to-back. Dallas kicks off a four-game road trip Wednesday in Edmonton.