“No one’s a bigger fan of Jake Oettinger than me, as a person or a goalie,” DeBoer said.

If they can do so, then the Stars’ odds for Stanley Cup contention next year will rise considerably come next season.

“Three years in a row now, you get that close and you come up short ... obviously not a good feeling,” said Jamie Benn, the nearly 36-year-old captain who is about to be an unrestricted free agent af...