Two Rookies Helping Texas Stars Down The Stretch
CEDAR PARK, Texas -- In the midst of a tight postseason race in the heavily contested Central Division, the Texas Stars will have to make due with one of the youngest, and least experienced, lineups in the American Hockey League if they want to reach the postseason again.
It helps that two former first-round NHL Draft picks are leading the charge, and in the process, rejuvenating a lineup depleted by Dallas Stars call-ups.
Center Ty Dellandrea and goaltender Jake Oettinger, two of the organization's top prospects, stole the show on Friday night at HEB Center at Cedar Park. Dellandrea scored the game-winning goal on a penalty shot in the third period, while Oettinger held down the fort in goal with 24 saves on 25 shots in the 2-1 win over the Rockford IceHogs.
The two first-rounders were assigned to Texas on amateur tryouts after inking their entry-level contracts with the Dallas Stars, and both players have exhibited their all-around skill sets while growing as players in their first games in the professional ranks.
Dellandrea's Memorable Night
"It was pretty special," Dellandrea, the 13th overall selection in the 2018 NHL Draft, said of his game-winner, which was the first goal of his pro career. "My family flew down today to come watch, so to have them here to see the first one is a good feeling."
Dellandrea also contributed to the Stars' first goal, a Brad McClure finish in the early parts of the first period, with a nifty play through the neutral zone, feeding linemate Adam Mascherin, who later slid the puck to McClure for the shot. The 19-year-old puck-jacked an unsuspecting Rockford forward, shielded off pressure from another, and led Mascherin in for the zone entry and pass.
"I just made a play in the middle and [Mascherin] was in the right spot to pick it up, and it was a big one early in the game to take control."
The captain of the Ontario Hockey League's Flint Firebirds, Dellandrea is accustomed to fighting uphill battles, so he was not afraid of the circumstances on Friday night; when top-line center Travis Morin left early with an upper-body injury, Dellandrea -- along with Josh Melnick and Rhett Gardner -- cycled through lines and picked up extra minutes up the lineup.
"It's a bit different to have three centers rolling like that, but it was nice to play with different guys," he said. "It was fun, and it felt good."
Coach Derek Laxdal chimed in: "We had three young centermen finishing out the game and they rose to the occasion and managed the game well."
In addition to his two-point night, Dellandrea grew as a defensive weapon on Friday night. With the Rockford net empty and an extra IceHogs attacker on the ice, Dellandrea was the center tasked with suppressing any potential scoring chances. At just 18, he is being trusted to kill off attacks in crunch time in the middle of a stressful postseason race.
"Everybody came up with some huge blocks to win that game, and everyone has to pull the rope at this time a year," Dellandrea said.
"With Ty going back to junior next year, this is really gonna springboard him and help him going into Dallas Stars training camp next year," Laxdal says. "Fans are gonna see the future of the Dallas Stars moving forward."
Oettinger's Poise in Net
In just his second start at the AHL level, Oettinger looked like a seasoned pro, stopping 24 of 25 Rockford tries to pick up his second consecutive victory in the Stars crease, and his first in Cedar Park. After holding Iowa to one goal on 24 shots on Saturday, March 30, the Boston University stalwart has allowed just two goals in two starts as a pro.
"Jake's a special goaltender," Laxdal said. "He never gets rattled and just makes the saves look easy and I think our team feeds off of that."
In the absence of Landon Bow, the Stars' regular starter who has since been recalled by Dallas due to an injury to Ben Bishop, Oettinger has stepped in and played brilliantly. The 20-year-old credits his ability to remain poised and calm through pressure around him to his success.
"You just need to be level-headed and focus all the time when you're out there," Oettinger, the 26th overall selection in the 2017 NHL Draft, said on Friday, "One mistake can cost you at this level, so I have to be sharp."
Continuing, he says, "I'm just trying to do all the little things and help this team win. They have battled the entire year to get into this position and so, to have the opportunity to step in and help these guys get in the playoffs is really exciting," Oettinger stated. "I'm lucky that I have the opportunity and I'm just trying to make the most of it."
OTHER TEXAS STARS NOTES:
The Stars improved to 36-29-4-3 with their win over Rockford on Friday night, jumping to 79 standings points with four games remaining on their 2018-19 schedule. Texas hosts Rockford again on Saturday.
The Milwaukee Admirals took a 4-3 decision over the Chicago Wolves on Friday night, which is bad news for the Stars. Milwaukee jumped to 81 points and held firm in fourth place in the Central Division. Texas, who sits in sixth, are two points back entering Saturday's games.
Center Riley Damiani joined the Texas Stars this week on an amateur tryout. Damiani, who went 137th overall to the Stars in the 2018 Draft, had scored 30 goals and 55 assists in 58 games with the OHL's Kitchener Rangers this season. Damiani is also a former teammate of Texas winger Adam Mascherin.
