The Dallas Stars got off to a bad start while being eliminated Thursday night by the Edmonton Oilers.
A careless penalty. A power-play goal in which Corey Perry was left alone in front. Another defensive breakdown on the Oilers' second goal by Mattias Janmark at 7:09.
Stars coach Peter DeBoer called a timeout, then did something shocking: He pulled star goaltender Jake Oettinger and inserted backup Casey DeSmith.
DeBoer explained his reasoning afterward, saying he didn't fully blame Oettinger for the goals but at the same time, he cited the "reality" of the situation.
"If you go back to last year's playoffs, he's lost six of seven games to Edmonton and we gave up two goals on two shots in an elimination game," DeBoer said. "It was partly to spark our team and wake them up and partly knowing that status quo had not been working. That's a pretty big sample size."
Jake Oettinger's night is DONE 5 mins into Game 5 😳
He gets pulled after allowing 2 goals on the Oilers' first 2 shots 😬 pic.twitter.com/gSSyXUZsZJ
DeSmith gave up a quick goal to Jeff Skinner and though the Stars pulled close on a couple of occasions. they fell 6-3.
"We didn't roll over," DeBoer said.
Oettinger was one of three U.S. goalies at the 4 Nations Face-Off who could also be the netminders for the 2026 Olympics. Top goalie Connor Hellebuyck had some tough games on the road for the Winnipeg Jets in the playoffs. Boston's Jeremy Swayman missed the playoffs but helped the USA win a rare gold medal at the world championships.
The Stars have now lost three consecutive trips to the Western Conference final.
"Our group needs to go – you know, coaches, players – and reflect in the summer on what we can do when we get to this point against the best teams," DeBoer said.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stars' Jake Oettinger pulled; coach Peter DeBoer explains why
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