Minnesota Wild inch closer to first series win since 2015

Dallas-the minnesota wild They are one win away from advancing to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in more than a decade.

And they’re in that position after thwarting one of the NHL’s best attacks 4-2 win on tuesday against dallas stars In Game 5 of their Western Conference first round series.

The series resumes on Thursday in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the Wild will have the first of two opportunities to win their first series since 2015 when they defeated it. st louis blues in six games before losing in the conference semifinals. chicago blackhawks.

“I think those are the guys we have now,” the wild forward said. marcus folignoWho has been with the team since 2017. “I think it’s a little different. I think we have a lot of leadership and experienced guys. You get a guy like Michael McCarron Tonight he stepped up. Our penalty kill works and sets up goals. I just think every night there’s somebody who steps up to help this team.”

Starting this series with a 6-1 win was a big deal for a few reasons. This gave the Wild their first Game 1 playoff series since 2023. Additionally, it also showed that the Wild can create and take advantage of scoring chances, a sign of development from a team that previously struggled to do both in previous postseasons.

The way he hung with the Stars, who have reached three consecutive Western Conference Finals, in back-to-back overtime contests in Games 3 and 4 also showed how comfortable he is in difficult situations.

What they accomplished Tuesday is the latest example of how this iteration of the Wild looks to be vastly different. Minnesota’s aggressive backcheck and oppressive forecheck found many ways to thwart Dallas’ attack, which finished the regular season in the top 10 in goals per game.

The Wild are now one game away from the second round, with questions being raised about their ability to challenge the power dynamics in the West.

“The players have made decisions they care about, they understand what their assignments are and their attention to detail is strong,” Wild coach John Hynes said. “Through the lineup, you see [Kirill] Kaprizov And [Matt] Boldyfor example or [Quinn Hughes] “Where they’re aggressive guys and you can see it, but their commitment to defense is just as important to them as playing offense.”

Matt ZuccarelloThe freshman, who returned to the lineup after missing the last three games due to an upper-body injury, got his team off to a fast start by scoring a little more than four minutes into the first period on Tuesday. stars goalkeeper Jake Ottinger Made an early save, but the rebound went to an open Zuccarello.

Stars equalized for the first time midway through miro heiskanen Scored on a power-play goal that ultimately turned out to be one of the few chances the Wild allowed.

Natural Stat Trick’s metrics showed that the Stars had a shot-share of 61.2% in 5-on-5 play, meaning they controlled possession. But the disconnect was in how the Wild consistently overshadowed any Stars player who had the puck, in addition to how they got in front of the puck.

How effective were the Wild at getting in front of the puck? He finished with 26 blocked shots which complemented the rookie goalie. jesper wallstad Ending with 20 saves.

Much to Dallas’ frustration, another bench had to issue minor penalties to too many skaters. This led to Boldy making a wrist shot on the ensuing power play for his fourth goal of the postseason and a 2–1 lead with 30.7 seconds remaining in the period.

The Stars faced a comeback attempt in the third period after going nearly 198 minutes without a 5-on-5 goal.

“We’re comfortable at 5-on-5,” Wild defenseman brock faber Said. “They’re going to get a push, too. They’re going to get a push where they overpower us at 5-5. We’ve got to fight them and do what we do.”

McCarron, who was acquired by the Wild before the trade deadline, scored a goal with 12:13 left in the third to cut the lead to 3–1, forcing Stars coach Glenn Gulutzan to finally adopt a more aggressive approach.

Gulutzan pulled Oettinger for an extra skater with about four minutes remaining. jason robertson Cut the lead to 3-2 with 3:21 remaining.

But the Stars’ hope was short-lived as Kaprizov fought off Heiskanen for the loose puck and scored into an empty net for a 4-2 lead after 1:21.

Four goals against the Stars means the Wild will enter Wednesday ranked third in the NHL in goals per game this postseason. Giving up 2.60 goals per game makes Minnesota a top-five unit.

It makes the Wild look like one of the most complete teams in the NHL.

“I think we’re trying to be in this position every year,” said Zuccarello, who has been with the Wild since 2019.

“There are going to be some tough games coming up and these guys will be ready. …It’s not going to be easy.”