The Minnesota Wild defeated the Dallas Stars 6-1 in Game 1 of the NHL playoffs, with rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt making a strong debut. Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek each scored twice, helping the Wild secure home ice advantage in the series.
DALLAS â By the third period of the playoff opener between the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars, the normally-raucous American Airlines Center, on the edge of downtown Dallas, was as quiet as the wind-swept West Texas prairie.
In what they hope will be a tone-setter for a playoff run of note, the Wild stunned Dallas with a 6-1 win in Game 1, sending Stars fans scrambling for the exits before the final period was half-over.
Making his first-ever playoff start, rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt was superlative for the Wild, stopping 26 Dallas shots and keeping the audience quiet for much of the evening. Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek each had a pair of goals for Minnesota, and Mats Zuccarello posted a trio of assists as the Wild grabbed home ice advantage on the best-of-seven first round series.
While limiting the Starsâ time in front of Wallstedt and playing disruptor for the Dallas offense, the Wild led 1-0 after one and 4-0 by the halfway point of the game, taking the opener of a playoff series with the Stars for the second time in three years. Kirill Kaprizov and Ryan Hartman also scored for the Wild. Quinn Hughes, who had not skated in a week and whose availability was in question as he battled an illness, had a second period assist and played more than 20 minutes.
Minnesota got the gameâs first power play when hulking Dallas defenseman Tyler Myers delivered an elbow to the head of Wild forward Mats Zuccarello, and the visitors cashed in on the man advantage. Matt Boldyâs pass from below the goal line found Eriksson Ek alone in the low slot. A wrist shot beat Oettinger low on the glove side. It was Eriksson Ekâs first career playoff power play goal.
The Minnesota Wild won Game 1 against the Dallas Stars with a final score of 6-1.
Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek each scored two goals, while rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt made 26 saves.
The Wild led 1-0 after the first period of Game 1 against the Stars.
The Wild's victory in Game 1 gives them home ice advantage in the best-of-seven first round series against the Stars.
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After the Wild killed their first penalty of the playoffs, a near-perfect opportunity to double the lead came late in the first when Danila Yurov got open in front of Oettinger but was foiled by a left toe save. The first period ended with the Wild again on a man-advantage, but they failed to convert.
Kaprizov made it 2-0 in the opening minute of the middle frame, with a perfectly-placed shot from the far boards that found a tiny gap over Oettingerâs left shoulder. Two shifts later the building fell silent as Hartman deflected in an ankle-high pass from Brock Faber to make it 3-0.
A few seconds after Dallas killed a Wild penalty, Boldy was positioned at the left of the goalie and tapped in a bouncing puck, leaving the Stars and their fans stunned at the four-goal deficit.
Dallas got one back before the period ended, on a power play. After Yurov took down a Stars player at the defensive blue line, Jason Robertson fooled Wallstedt to briefly get the home crowd back involved, but the second ended with Minnesota still up by three.
Eriksson Ek added another power play goal in the third, and Boldy hit an empty net late for Minnesota.
Oettinger, who was making his 66th career playoff start, finished with 23 saves for the Stars.
Game 2 is Monday night, scheduled for 8:30 p.m. in Dallas.
In addition to Hughesâ return to the lineup, the Wild defense was at full strength for the first time since an April 4 game in Ottawa when Zach Bogosian suffered a lower body injury. The veteran blueliner had missed the regular seasonâs final six games but skated with the team in their last two practices and was ready to go for the playoff openerâŠDallas got defenseman Miro Heiskanen back for Game 1 after he missed the final three regular season games with a lower body injury. They remain without forward Roope Hintz, who has played just one game since the Olympic break while dealing with a lower body ailment of his own.