Comment: Here’s the worst threat to Dallas’ big Stanley Cup dreams – a stark gut-punch in statistics | Sport

Dallas has shown that, with the exception of goaltending, all areas are at the level required for the championship, writes Tommi Seppälä, Urheilu’s NHL reporter.

The last couple of weeks have given the promise of something better. The Dallas goaltender, who has often been promoted to the NHL’s goaltending elite Jake Oettinger, 25, won five games in a row. Arizona fell twice, once Pittsburgh, Vancouver and most recently Seattle.

In no match did more than two pucks go behind the Yankee keeper, in the most recent one he played zero.

However, this level of goaltending has not been available in Dallas this season.

In Dallas, all the cards are loaded for Oettinger, who was born in Minnesota, but his level has fluctuated throughout the season in a worrying way. The strikeout percentage doesn’t even exceed 90 during Easter, and the average of those allowed is almost three.

If you create a quick check in the deep data, the Dallas cashier has allowed almost four hits more than expected. Last season, Oettinger’s corresponding reading was a plus of almost 12 goals.

The defensive game lasts

And the goalkeeper couldn’t hope for a much better team. Dallas has been among the league’s elite defensively for years, but it only seems to have tightened its belt this season.

Individual mistakes happen to everyone, but as a collective, Dallas is the second best team in the series both in terms of the goal waiting created against them and in the number of goals in the first sector.

For example, the star jerseys gave 11.3 dangerous goal chances per hour of five-on-five play a year ago, now only 9.6. The drop is quite a lot. The expected goal against has dropped from 2.8 to 2.2 per year.

Of the positions that Dallas eventually gives to its own, it needs more saves from Oettinger.

New width and sharpness in the attacking game

And the goalkeeping department can’t complain about the support they get from the attacking department either. Dallas has scored the second most goals in the entire series.

The Stars have increased the average number of goals scored in two years from 2.8 to 3.7 – and are now scoring from a wider front than in years.

While there were six 20-goal players in the team last year, there are already seven of them now. There were six players with fifty points in the team last season, now there will be nine.

Dallas doesn’t lean anymore in its offensive game like last season Roope Hintz to the chain, but now thrust can be found genuinely in three lines.

No choice

However, the tailboard has, if not directly leaked, at least given too much in terms of championship dreams. While last season Dallas conceded the third fewest goals, now its ranking is outside the top ten. Even in the West, it is only eighth in terms of those allowed.

Ice hockey is a team game, but here the focus is definitely on the goaltending department.

Although Oettinger has won eight of his previous ten games, the goals conceded in the 2024 side are four hits in freezing temperatures. The ranking in the statistics is 69th.

And Dallas has no choice behind Oettinger. Scott Wedgewood has won 16 of its 27 games and actually has better stats than its rival, but in the Stanley Cup hunt, Wedgewood is not an option.

Oettinger has to find his game, and there is not much time – otherwise the championship train decorated with star graffiti will not reach its terminus in Texas this year either.

Dallas has all the pieces required for a championship. By Chris Tanev with the acquisition, its defense equipment is even better balanced than before. Downstairs in Dallas, you can find football know-how Miro Heiskanen like, scoring power of Thomas Harley through as well as Esa Lindell and top-level basic defense through Tanevi.

The attack equipment is at the same time fast, skillful and, if necessary, very rough.

However, nothing is more important in the spring playoff rally than the goalkeeper. Even big dreams can come crashing down Jore Marjarantaif the man behind the collective in his big gear doesn’t save his field players in weak moments.

Oettinger’s next test will be at the beginning of the week, when they will face the fiery Edmonton.

Stats: NHL.com, Natural Stat Trick, Evolving-Hockey