Expect Oettinger And Woll to Be Walls Tonight

Stars vs. Maple Leafs, 7:00 ET

It has been a few days since we've gotten any hockey action, but I'm happily returning to the ice tonight with a pick in the game between the Stars and the Maple Leafs. With so much football over the past few days and college hoops heating up, it was nice to get away from hockey, even if only for a little while (I wasn't doing very well in my most recent picks). Hopefully I can return to get some of the units I lost back into my pocket, but we've had a nice bankroll built up on hockey for a while now.

The Stars enter this contest with a strong 27-14-1 record for the season. However, they do have their fair share of struggles when playing on the road. As of right now, they are just 11-9-0 on the road, significantly closer to a .500 record. For the year, Dallas has been able to sport a very strong offense, one that averages 3.19 goals per game on about 31 shot attempts. They also have one of the better defenses, allowing just 2.48 goals against per game and then allowing just about 26 shot attempts per game. I always like supporting teams that are consistently out-shooting their opponent. They also have a really great goalie stopping the few shots that do get through, so there is a lot like about the Stars. Despite their road struggles, they've also played rather well lately with three wins in their past four games. They did lose their last game against Ottawa, dropping the game 3-2. This ended a seven-game winning streak, and now they are 8-2 over their past 10 games. Jake Oettinger is likely to be in the net tonight for the Stars. He has been phenomenal this year, going 21-9-1 for the season, allowing just 2.35 goals against per game, and a .910 save percentage. The Stars have won the past four games that Oettinger has started.

Oct 19, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Edmonton Oilers left wing Zach Hyman (18) fights for position against Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston (53) and goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) in the first period at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

The Maple Leafs are also putting together a nice campaign, going 27-15-2 for the season, and doing a very nice job of protecting their home ice. To this point, they are 17-8-0 at home. Toronto has an offense that is capable of keeping up with the Stars, scoring 3.07 goals per game on about 28 shots. It is nice to see that they are scoring about the same amount of goals on almost three fewer shots per game. Their defense is where I am a bit skeptical about them. For the year, they are allowing opponents to shoot 29 shots per game, more than the Maple Leafs are taking themselves, and they are allowing 2.82 goals per game. The number itself is respectable, but I do have some concerns about how sustainable it is when you shoot less than opponents on average. Joseph Woll is probably going to mind the pipes tonight. For the season, Woll is 14-7-0 with a 2.58 goals against per game average and a .912 save percentage. These aren't quite as impressive as Oettinger's but he is certainly putting together a good campaign. 

If I look at this game objectively, I think the Maple Leafs have a significant advantage because this is the third game in four nights for Dallas. It also plays to their strength that they are at home and the Stars are on the road. I do have some concerns betting against Oettinger. I think the smarter play is to take the under on this game. Both Woll and Oettinger are two of the best goalies in the league. I'll take my chances they can keep this a low scoring game and under the 5.5 total. 

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