Flames-Stars series sees focus on goaltenders

CALGARY — With the Calgary Flames and Dallas Stars almost cancelling each other out offensively to start their playoff series, their goalies are taking centre stage.

Calgary’s Jacob Markstrom and Stars counterpart Jake Oettinger have each allowed a single goal over the first two games of the series tied 1-1 heading into today’s Game 3 at American Airlines Center.

The Flames scored in the first period of a 1-0 win in Game 1, followed by the Stars doing the same in Game 2, but adding an empty-net goal at the Saddledome. Markstrom, 32, carried more playoff experience into this series than the 23-year-old Oettinger, who made his postseason debut in Calgary.

Markstrom is performing in front of fans in the post-season for the first time in his career, however. The Flames’ goalie opened with a 16-save shutout in Game 1 and turned away 21 of 22 shots in the Game 2 loss.

Joe Pavelski’s long tip-in of Jason Robertson shot over Markstrom’s glove in the first period stood up as the winning goal for the Stars.

“All the challenges that any goalie faces here is you have to stop the puck and you have to be better than the other goalie out there,” Markstrom said.

“It’s going to be tough. It’s going to be a battle. In the playoffs, everything gets ramped up a little bit with shots and traffic and people in front of the net and all that. You’ve got to keep playing your game, stay calm and stop as many pucks as you can.”

Oettinger has been the busier man whose 29-save shutout in Game 2 held off the pressing Flames. The Lakeville, Minn., made 25 saves and gave up a power-play goal to Elias Lindholm five minutes into Game 1.

“I’ve been to playoff games as a fan and kind of knew the intensity. When you’re between the pipes, it’s a whole different ball game,” Oettinger said. “It’s a dream come true to be a starting goalie in the playoffs here and I’m going to try to keep giving my team a chance to win.”

Markstrom is an elite NHL goalie who can put an exclamation mark on that status with a long playoff run. He has lived up to his billing in his first full season as a Flame.