The second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs has been full of drama, and Tuesday was no exception. In the single playoff game played that night, the Dallas Stars defeated the Winnipeg Jets 3-1 in Game 4, taking a commanding 3-1 series lead. Mikael Granlund was the offensive hero, scoring his first career playoff hat trick, while goaltender Jake Oettinger was outstanding in net.
Let`s take a closer look at the standout performances from Tuesday`s game.
3. Nikolaj Ehlers | LW | Jets
The Jets played aggressively on offense throughout Game 4 but ultimately had little to show for it on the scoreboard. One positive note for Winnipeg was the play of star winger Nikolaj Ehlers, who scored his team`s only goal early in the second period.
With a power play carrying over from the first period, Ehlers capitalized just 1:02 into the second frame as the man advantage was expiring. Holding the puck near the side of the Dallas net, Ehlers fired a difficult side-angle shot that managed to sneak past Oettinger. From an offensive perspective, it would be hard to find a more productive Jets player than Ehlers. He has scored three goals in the series and consistently shown a knack for finding the net.
2. Jake Oettinger | G | Stars
Oettinger struggled significantly against the Jets during the regular season, posting a 3.25 goals-against-average over four games. However, Oettinger has completely reversed that trend in this second-round series, turning aside 31 of the 32 shots he faced in the Game 4 victory.
Oettinger bailed out the Stars on numerous occasions throughout Tuesday`s game with spectacular saves. One of the biggest moments came nearly six minutes into the second period when the Stars turned the puck over in the neutral zone while on a power play. Jets star forward Kyle Connor took the puck on a breakaway and attempted to go to his backhand. However, Oettinger was there to slide across the crease and shut down the potential scoring chance.
Oettinger has been victorious in three of his four starts in the series, recording a 2.00 goals-against-average and a .929 save percentage. The Stars netminder has also thrived when playing at home, boasting a 13-2 record in his last 15 home starts. After Connor Hellebuyck stole the show with a shutout earlier in the series, Oettinger has been the more consistent goaltender up to this point.
1. Mikael Granlund | C | Stars
For a large portion of Game 4, the Jets were the more dominant offensive team and seemed to control the momentum. However, Mikael Granlund single-handedly propelled his team towards victory with a sensational hat-trick performance on Tuesday.
Granlund`s stellar night began when he drew a holding-the-stick penalty on Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo, setting up a power play. On the resulting man advantage, Granlund carried the puck up from the defensive zone, skillfully navigated around Jets forward Parker Ford, and snapped a shot that beat Hellebuyck under the glove. In the second period, Granlund provided offense again, entering the offensive zone on a two-on-one with teammate Roope Hintz. He elected to keep the puck himself and unleashed a scorching shot that sailed over Hellebuyck`s glove. Finally, Granlund completed the hat trick with a one-timer set up by Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who was playing in his first game since January due to a knee injury.
This was just the second multi-goal game of Granlund`s postseason career, the first coming against the Blackhawks in Game 3 of the second round in the 2014 playoffs. Granlund was incredibly active throughout Game 4, recording five hits and winning three face-offs in addition to his three goals. He has really found his place on Dallas` top line since being acquired prior to this season`s trade deadline and could be a significant asset as the Stars pursue their second Stanley Cup in franchise history.
