Oettinger's 25 Saves Lead Stars Past Blue Jackets 3-1 to End Homestand

Jake Oettinger was the steadying presence Dallas needed on Saturday night, making 25 saves as the Stars beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 to finish a six-game homestand with a win. Dallas scored twice in the opening period and never surrendered the lead, a welcome response after back-to-back one-sided losses had followed a five-game winning run. Mikko Rantanen opened the scoring on the power play, redirecting a feed at the far post for his team-leading seventh goal of the season, after Columbus goalkeeper Jet Greaves was penalised for clearing the puck over the glass. Thomas Harley then doubled the lead with one second left in the first period, surprising Greaves with a one-timer from above the circle. Columbus pulled one back through Damon Severson in the third, but Arttu Hyry's empty-netter with one second remaining sealed the result. Greaves finished with 14 saves for the Blue Jackets, who have now lost two in a row. For Dallas, the win matters less for the two points than for the reset: after a homestand that swung from a winning streak to heavy defeats, Oettinger and a disciplined defensive showing restored a sense of order before the road trip ahead.