Jake Oettinger stopped 26 shots during the game and overtime and blocked all three shootout attempts as the Dallas Stars, who had already clinched the top spot in the Western Conference playoffs, defeated the St. Louis Blues 2-1 in their last game of the regular season on Wednesday evening.
By reaching overtime, the Stars secured at least one point, ensuring their position as the number-one seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
They managed to add another two points thanks to Oettinger’s stellar performance and Jason Robertson’s goal during the shootout.
Robertson commented, “It was a good challenge for us, preparing us for the playoffs.” This marks the first time since 2016 that Dallas has claimed the top seed in the West, coinciding with their previous Central Division championship.
With a record of 52-21-9, the Stars amassed 113 points, their highest since the 1998-99 season when they set a franchise record of 114 points en route to winning the Stanley Cup. They fell just one win short of the record 53 set in 2005-06.
As the clock wound down in regulation, fans celebrated, knowing the Stars had secured home-ice advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs.
The Vancouver Canucks, who won the Pacific Division, have one more game left but can only reach 111 points with a victory on Thursday.
Oettinger, who has consistently allowed two goals or fewer in 10 of his last 11 games, expressed his excitement, saying, “That’s great. We want to have home ice as much as we can. Now the real fun starts.”
In the first round of the playoffs, the Stars will face either the reigning Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights or the Los Angeles Kings, both of whom have home games to finish the regular season on Thursday.
One team will finish third in the Pacific Division, while the other will secure a wild card spot and face the Stars. Last season, the Golden Knights eliminated the Stars in the Western Conference Final with a Game 6 victory.
Meanwhile, the St. Louis Blues, who had already been eliminated from playoff contention, finished ninth in the Western Conference with 92 points, trailing the Kings by five points for the final playoff spot.
