Jake Oettinger stopped all 14 shots he faced to record his 17th career shutout as the Dallas Stars routed the San Jose Sharks 5-0 on Monday night. The win marked the Stars’ first victory of the NHL season.
The Sharks entered the game without their newly named captain, star center Macklin Celebrini, who was scratched minutes before puck drop due to a lower-body injury. Celebrini had participated in warmups but left the ice earlier than usual. The 20-year-old, who signed a five-year, $94 million extension over the summer, was replaced by former Stars forward Ty Dellandrea, making his season debut.
Dallas took control early, with Miro Heiskanen scoring the game-winning goal on a backhand shot with 1:09 remaining in the first period. Heiskanen’s strike set the tone for the rest of the game, as the Stars built a commanding lead. Jamie Benn contributed a goal and an assist, while Joel Kiviranta, Jason Robertson, and Mikko Rantanen also found the net for Dallas.
Yaroslav Askarov made 21 saves in a losing effort for the Sharks, who struggled to generate offense without Celebrini’s presence. San Jose had hoped that their captain would return to the lineup after assisting on Igor Chernyshov’s overtime goal in Saturday’s 2-0 victory, but his injury forced a last-minute change.
The Stars’ defense remained stout throughout, supporting Oettinger, who earned his shutout with steady positioning and timely saves. This performance adds to his growing reputation as one of the league’s reliable goaltenders.
Following this game, the Sharks will travel to face the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, while the Stars are set to visit the Buffalo Sabres on the same day. Both teams will look to build on their recent performances as the NHL season progresses.
According to Yahoo Sports.
