Glen Gulutzan explains decision to stick with Jake Oettinger through Stars' Game 1 loss
"Nothing for me was on the goaltending," the Stars head coach said after Oettinger allowed five goals to the Wild in Game 1.
Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek (14) celebrates with his teammate Matt Boldy (12) after scoring a goal against Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) during the first period of Game 1 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series at American Airlines Center, Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Dallas. (Chitose Suzuki/The Dallas Morning News) The last time Stars goalie Jake Oettinger allowed a goal-scoring flurry in a playoff game like on Saturday, he was pulled from the game in a decision that would eventually lead to the dismissal of the Stars' head coach . The Stars' Game 1 flop won't lead to those kinds of dramatics.
But that's one of the only positives to take away from it. In a 6-1 loss to the Wild in which Oettinger allowed five goals, including a three-goals-in-five-minutes span early in the second period, Stars coach Glen Gulutzan was fairly adamant postgame that benching his starting goalie in Game 1 was never a consideration. "No," Gulutzan said flatly when asked after the game if he thought about pulling Oettinger.
"I look at the goals, I'm not sure how he stops a deflection that's missing the net and then [gets tipped in]. Then one from behind the net where we lose the battle and they get two whacks at it. He's gonna stop the initial shot.
" Oettinger stopped 23 of 28 shots on Saturday in what was another Game 1 loss for Dallas, a trend that's beleaguered both the Stars and Oettinger over the past four trips to the playoffs . Over that stretch, Oettinger has a 2-8 record in Game 1s. "There's no excuse for it.