Stars’ Oettinger outduelling Team USA teammate Hellebuyck in playoffs

Jake Oettinger and Connor Hellebuyck have gone from teammates to rivals in the most important games of their season. But through five games in the Western Conference semifinal series between the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets, one goalie has risen above the rest.

Oettinger made 31 saves in a 3-1 win Tuesday to put the Stars up 3-1 in the series. Overall in the series, Oettinger has now allowed just eight goals with a .929 save percentage, while Hellebuyck has allowed 11 goals for an .887 save percentage.

The duo were teammates for Team USA in February’s 4 Nations Face-Off, with Hellebuyck starting three of the four games, including the gold-medal game overtime loss to Canada. But with the way Oettinger has performed in these playoffs, those roles could be reversed when the NHL returns to the Olympics in 2026.

“Other than winning the Cup, that’s my No. 1 goal,” Oettinger told Sportsnet’s Scott Oake when asked about starting for his home country at the Olympics. “A long ways from now, a lot of hockey left… I can worry about that when it comes.”

If Oettinger keeps playing like he has in the playoffs, both of those dreams could come true very soon.