Game 6 Preview: Wild Look to Clinch Series, Stars Battle On
The Minnesota Wild are up 3-2 in Round 1 of the Western Conference over the Dallas Stars, but the series is far from over, as it’s been back-and-forth for all 5 games so far. Minnesota did make some important gains during Game 5, and not just in scoring; they were better than in past games at penalty killing and equally good on the power play.
Wild Take Game 5, Stars Play Well
This is an interesting matchup because Minnesota is significantly better 5-on-5, and Dallas is significantly better in the power play. Before the game, the Stars had scored 8 goals on the power play (5 more than their opponents), but just 4 in even strength, as opposed to 12 from Minnesota.
That came into play early in Game 5 on April 28, when Mats Zuccarello of the Wild scored after returning from a few games off due to injury. The power play benefited the Stars right away, too, as Miro Heiskanen was able to score on a power play and even out the game.
Right at the end of the first period, Minnesota’s Matt Boldy got the puck in the net on a power play, but moved Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger’s pad in the process and had the goal recalled. That didn’t seem to take the wind out of his sails, though, as he scored on a power play at the very end of the second period to make the score 2-1. The Stars only managed 6 shots that period, and the Wild shot on goal 16 times for a strong performance.
In the third period, Minnesota scored twice more, with Michael McCarron and Kirill Kaprizov scoring (the latter on an empty net). Jason Robertson scored for the Stars; he’s scored in every game of the series so far.
Minnesota recorded 71 shots on goal, while Dallas recorded 50 in a clear sign that the Wild was the better team offensively. Oettinger made 24 saves, while opposing goalie Jesper Wallstedt made 20.
The Stars, already a few men down, had forward Arttu Hyry exit the game in the second period, and he is unlikely to play in Game 6. The Wild’s Jonas Brodin also left the game in the second period and didn’t return.
Player Standings
As Round 1 goes on, it’s important to keep track of individual statistics. Kaprizov is tied for 1st in the NHL in points with 9, while Robertson and the Wild’s Matt Duchene (8) are tied for 3rd, while Boldy (7) is tied for 8th. In goals, Robertson (5) leads, and Boldy (4) is tied for 3rd.
Kaprizov’s 7 assists have him tied for 1st, while Duchene and Mikko Rantanen (Stars) have 6 assists and are tied for 3rd. As for goalies, Wallstedt sits 8th with 2.05 GAA and 7th with a SV% of 0.926.
Among defensemen, Heiskanen ranks 3rd with 6 points, and the Wild’s Brock Faber and Quinn Hughes tie for 4th with 5 points apiece. Faber has scored 3 goals, putting him in a tie for 1st, and Heiskanen’s 2 goals puts him in a tie for 3rd. Hughes has 5 assists to rank him 3rd in the NHL, and Heiskanen’s 4 assists tie him for 4th. Among rookies, the Stars’ Justin Hyrickowian has 1 assist and 1 point. He is ranked tied 5th in points and tied 2nd in assists.
Game 6 Preview
The Wild had a successful penalty kill and a power play goal from Boldy, which is a big deal for them. Both are great in the goal, but the Wild’s 5-on-5 dominance could get them the series win if they can repeat their Game 5 performance.
For the Stars, they will need to help out Oettinger a bit more defensively and try to get past Wallstedt and the solid Minnesota defense. They have won two games, and both teams anticipate a possible 7-game series. Power plays have been the key for the Stars, who lead the playoffs with 9 power play goals.
Game 6 will be exciting no matter which way it goes, that’s for sure.
