After breakout regular season, Matt Boldy bringing ‘big-man game’ to the playoffs

And the Oscar goes to …

Game 4 between the Wild and Stars was tied 1-1 late in the second period on Saturday at Grand Casino when Jamie Benn gave one of the great performances in the annals of NHL diving.

During a scrum in front of the Wild’s goal, the Stars captain had his stick lifted by defenseman Brock Faber in a savvy move designed to keep Benn from deflecting in the go-ahead goal.

Faber’s stick hit Benn on the arm, but only because Benn, a playoff hockey veteran, grabbed his face and fell to the ice like an extra in “Saving Private Ryan.”

A bewildered Faber was called for high sticking, and the embellishment was poised to go into the file of disappointing Wild playoff left turns when the Stars scored on the ensuing power play to take a 2-1 lead into the third period.

“I didn’t think my stick hit him, but still, I lifted his stick into his face,” Faber said. “I don’t know if that’s … I don’t really know the rule on that. I thought initially that his stick didn’t even hit his face.”

It didn’t.

After Marcus Foligno tied the game with 5 minutes, 20 seconds left in regulation, and Matt Boldy won it with a deflection in the final seconds of overtime, it was all rendered moot.

“Just heat of the moment stuff,” Faber said. “And obviously, we want to stay out of the box. I hate being in a box. That means I can’t be on the PK. So, it is what it is. And, you know, just heat of the moment stuff.”

PK AWOL

Speaking of the penalty kill, it’s been killing the Wild instead of the Stars.

Dallas has scored 10 goals on goaltender Jesper Wallstedt in this series and eight of them have been with a man advantage. It’s the same method the Stars used to take control of their first-round series against Minnesota in 2023.

Dallas is 8 for 19 on the power play, Minnesota — conspicuously missing distributor Mats Zuccarello (upper body) — is 3 for 19. Matt Duchene, Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson each have two power-play goals this series.

“It’s a different ballgame,” Robertson said when asked if the Stars can translate their man advantage success to even strength. “You’re on the power play, (there is) a lot more time. It’s a completely different thing.”

With the series heading back to Dallas tied 2-2, it appears the team that figures out its scoring issues will advance to the second round. Either the Wild will get its power play figured out, or the Stars will crack Minnesota’s defense 5-on-5.

“I think guys could all agree they had a bunch of (even-strength) scoring opportunities (Saturday),” Robertson said. “They’re doing a good job pushing us out for some of those shots, but I definitely think the volume was there today. Hopefully it goes in next time.”

Wallstedt stopped 43 of 45 shots on Saturday.

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