Two of the NHL’s hottest teams face off Tuesday night when the Dallas Stars, winners of their last five games, host the New Jersey Devils, who have won three straight and five of their last six.
Both teams sit in third place in their divisions, the Metropolitan for New Jersey and Central for Dallas, with each boasting seven wins. A shootout loss for Dallas is the only element that separates the two squads in points.
Ahead of the game, the Stars announced a decision on their starting All-Star goaltender, Jake Oettinger.
The Devils will avoid seeing Oettinger in goal, at least as the Dallas starter tonight. Casey DeSmith starts in goal for the Stars against the Devils on Tuesday, giving Oettinger a day to rest.
The 35-year-old backup takes the net for only the third time this season, with a record of 1-1-0 in his first two starts.
Bruce LeVine, a Stars radio analyst, broke news of the Oettinger announcement. Oettinger has no listed injury designation, according to RotoWire, and Dallas is not playing on consecutive nights.
Oettinger has started nine of Dallas’ 11 games, most recently in a 6-3 win over the Islanders on Oct. 25. DeSmith last started Oct. 14, almost two weeks ago.
Oettinger Off-Day Follows Strong Start
Oettinger, a 6-foot-6, 225-pound goalie, was born Dec. 18, 1998, in Lakeville, Minnesota. He played in the U.S. National Team Development Program and at Boston University before Dallas selected him 26th overall in 2017.
He has since become the franchise’s No. 1 goaltender, with All-Star appearances, Vezina Trophy consideration, a long-term contract and a 2026 Olympic gold medal with the U.S. team. Across 314 career games, he is 190-80-34 with a 2.50 goals-against average, a .910 save percentage and 19 shutouts.
This season, Oettinger is 6-2-1 in nine starts, with a sparkling 1.43 goals-against average, a .930 save percentage and three shutouts. That marks a turnaround from 2025-26, when he posted a career-low .899 save percentage in 54 games. His save percentage this season is .031 higher, and his goals-against average is more than a full goal below his career mark.
Casey DeSmith Steps In for Dallas Stars Against Devils
DeSmith is considerably smaller than Oettinger at 6 feet, 188 pounds. He was born Aug. 13, 1991, in Rochester, New Hampshire. He went undrafted, played at the University of New Hampshire and worked through the ECHL and AHL before breaking in with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
He later played for the Vancouver Canucks before signing with Dallas as a free agent, and the Stars extended him. DeSmith owns a 100-70-29 record in 222 games, with a 2.73 goals-against average, a .910 save percentage and 13 shutouts.
This season, DeSmith is 1-1-0 with a .925 save percentage, according to CBS Sports. He allowed four goals on 53 shots across two starts, for a 1.95 goals-against average. He lost 2-1 at Nashville on Oct. 3 and beat Colorado 3-2 in a shootout on Oct. 14.
The Stars enter the night 7-3-1 with 15 points, third in the Central Division behind Minnesota and Utah. Dallas has won five straight and owns the NHL’s best goals-against rate at roughly 1.73 per game.
The game at American Airlines Center is set for 8 p.m. EDT. The game falls in the middle of a six-game homestand. New Jersey is 7-4-0 with 14 points, third in the Metropolitan Division, and the teams split last season’s series.
Dallas is also without several skaters. Matt Duchene is out long term, and Esa Lindell, Oskar Bäck, Radek Faksa and Sam Steel are dealing with injuries as well.
Stars Announce Jake Oettinger Decision Ahead of Devils Game