Oilers Avoid Potentially Brutal Goalie News Ahead of Stars Game

** Update: It was confirmed by the coach that Casey DeSmith will start versus the Edmonton Oilers. So too, Radek Faksa is a game-time decision.

The Edmonton Oilers are coming off another bad third period, one in which they let the St. Louis Blues score in the final 90 seconds to snap a seven-game losing streak. Without much time to go over what went wrong, the team traveled to Dallas, where they’ll take on the Stars on Tuesday night. With news that Jake Oettinger might not be in goal, it was a bit of good news for an Oilers team struggling to string consistent 60-minute efforts together.

Tuesday morning offered a bit of a scare for Edmonton Oilers fans.

Sam Nestler was at practice for the Stars on Tuesday morning, and shockingly, the goaltender was on the ice. Just hours after he and his wife welcomed a new baby, Oettinger was skating with the team. This news is a bit surprising, given that head coach Glen Gulutzan had already publicly shared that Oettinger likely wouldn’t be in the net.

Not only was Oettinger at practice, he was in the starter’s net, suggesting he will, in fact, play against the Oilers. He stayed late on the ice after practice, so his start is not a guarantee.

Casey DeSmith does get the nod. While Oettinger was close to not missing any action, he’s likely not operating on a whole night’s rest, and getting one back on the Oilers’ Stuart Skinner will have to wait. Skinner got the best of Oettinger in the playoffs when Edmonton beat Dallas. No one should have been shocked if Oettinger was looking to get one back on his rival goaltender.

The Oilers head into Tuesday’s game with a 6-5-3 record, while the Stars (6-3-3) are 4-3-3 in their last 10 games and have two overtime wins in a row. Needless to say, after the Oilers gave away the game on Monday night, they need a more solid performance and to get a lead and keep it in regulation.

Next: Bouchard’s Costly Effort Forcing Oilers’ Hand After Loss to Blues