Stars Reveal Starting Goalie for Tonight's Game vs. Blues as Three Players Remain Game-Time Decisions

Saturday sets up cleanly for Oettinger. The early schedule has been choppy, but his last two outings settled the room, and the Stars' slot coverage improved as the pace tightened late.

Harley and Lundkvist as game time calls matter because Dallas leans on their exits. When both push pucks under pressure, the top six spends more time on its toes than its heels.

Fans want the comfort of known quantities, and Oettinger delivering first saves usually brings the patience this forecheck needs to grind.

Duchene sits at the center of everything. He left Wednesday's win after contact, then hit physiotherapy, and the plan now is straightforward, he decides when he feels right. If he goes, the second unit regains touch plays down low, especially those little underhand chips he loves behind the net.

The tactical wrinkle to watch is Dallas on controlled entries. With Harley uncertain, Miro Heiskanen may shoulder more of the carry, which means weak-side forwards must sprint into layered support instead of drifting wide.

Pregame talk also turns to St. Louis' neutral-zone look. The Blues can clog with a passive 1-1-3, so the Stars must move the first pass off the wall quickly, then hit the middle with pace to avoid chipping and chasing all night.

If Oettinger indeed starts as reported, that pairs nicely with the matchup. He reads east-west from low stance, and the Blues' best looks often come on netfront tips rather than clean seams, which plays to his box-out help from Esa Lindell.

As for confirmation, league listings have Dallas in St. Louis on Saturday, and standard lines show Duchene as day-to-day, which tracks with the «he decides» update. We will learn on the twirl whether Harley and Lundkvist dress, and whether Dallas runs seven defensemen to hedge.

The margin probably lives on special teams again. If Duchene returns, the bumper touch on the second unit sharpens entries, and if not, Tyler Seguin's quick release becomes the plan B at the elbow.

Here is the report that set today's tone for the lineup:

However it breaks, the takeaway is simple. Nail the first ten minutes, let Oettinger set the floor, and trust that the puck will follow structure more than hope.