The second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs has certainly been full of excitement, and that trend continued on Tuesday night.
In the only playoff game played, the Dallas Stars secured a crucial 3-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets in Game 4, giving them a commanding 3-1 lead in the series. Forward Mikael Granlund was the offensive catalyst, netting his first career playoff hat trick, while goaltender Jake Oettinger stood tall in net, acting as a formidable barrier.
Following another night of intense playoff action, let`s take a closer look at some of the top individual performances from Tuesday`s matchup.3. Nikolaj Ehlers | LW | Jets
The Jets pushed hard offensively throughout Game 4 but ultimately struggled to convert opportunities into goals. A bright spot for Winnipeg was the performance of forward Nikolaj Ehlers, who scored his team`s only goal early in the second period.
Ehlers` goal came just as a power play opportunity expired, 1:02 into the second frame. Receiving the puck at a sharp angle beside the net, Ehlers managed to squeeze a shot past Oettinger despite having little net to aim at. Ehlers was arguably the Jets` most effective offensive player in the game and has been a consistent scoring threat in the series, now totaling three goals.
2. Jake Oettinger | G | Stars
Jake Oettinger had a challenging time against the Jets during the regular season, posting a 3.25 goals-against average across four games. However, he has completely turned his performance around in this second-round series. In the Game 4 win, Oettinger was outstanding, stopping 31 out of 32 shots faced.
Oettinger came up big for the Stars repeatedly throughout Tuesday`s game with several highlight-reel saves. A particularly crucial moment occurred about six minutes into the second period when the Stars turned the puck over in the neutral zone during their own power play. This sent Jets star Kyle Connor in on a breakaway, but Oettinger successfully slid across to shut down Connor`s backhand attempt, preventing a major scoring chance.
Oettinger now has a 3-1 record in the series with an impressive 2.00 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage. He continues to excel when playing at home, holding a 13-2 record in his last 15 home starts. While Connor Hellebuyck delivered a shutout earlier in the series, Oettinger has arguably been the more consistent goaltender overall through these four games.
1. Mikael Granlund | C | Stars
Even though the Jets spent significant periods of Game 4 controlling the offensive play and momentum, Mikael Granlund`s individual brilliance single-handedly propelled his team to victory with a memorable hat trick performance.
Granlund initiated his impactful night by drawing a holding penalty on Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo, leading to a power play. On that man advantage, Granlund carried the puck from his own zone, deked around Parker Ford, and fired a shot under Hellebuyck`s glove for the opening goal. In the second period, he struck again; on a two-on-one rush with Roope Hintz, Granlund chose to keep the puck and unleashed a powerful shot over Hellebuyck`s glove. He sealed his hat trick with a one-timer set up by defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who was playing his first game since January following a knee injury.
This marked only the second multi-goal game of Granlund`s postseason career; his first came against the Blackhawks in Game 3 of the 2014 second round. Beyond his goals, Granlund was highly engaged in Game 4, registering five hits and winning three face-offs. Since joining the Stars prior to this season`s trade deadline, he has effectively found his place on the team`s top line and appears to be a significant asset as Dallas pursues its second Stanley Cup title in franchise history.
