ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Matt Boldy scored on a deflection with 28.9 seconds left in the first overtime and the Minnesota Wild beat the Dallas Stars 3-2 on Saturday in Game 4 to tie the first-round NHL playoff series.
Jared Spurgeon took a shot that Boldy, unmarked in front of the net, tipped with his stick shaft to guide the puck past goalie Jake Oettinger. After losing Game 3 in double overtime and facing defeat again until Marcus Foligno tied it on a second-effort tip-in with 5:20 left in the third period, the Wild showed their resilience.
“The frustration in our room is nonexistent, I would say, not a difficult thing to do,” Boldy said. “It wasn’t much of a difficult thing to do to get our rest the last couple days and come back with a good attitude.”
Boldy, who had a goal waved off in regulation when teammate Joel Eriksson Ek pushed Miro Heiskanen into Oettinger and another discounted in overtime because he made a kicking motion at the puck, has three goals in the series after giving the Wild their first postseason overtime win at home in 12 years.
“I almost touched the roof, I got so excited,” said goalie Jesper Wallstedt, who made 43 saves. “It felt like we were so close, so many times, and it finally went in. It’s such a nice feeling.”
Game 5 is in Dallas on Tuesday night.
“We just couldn’t get any puck luck," Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said. "We’re just going to have to start to finish off some.”
Jason Robertson and Heiskanen scored on the only two regulation power plays for the Stars, who continued their special teams mastery of the Wild and are 8 for 19 in the series.
Brock Faber had the first goal for the Wild, who were again without first-line right wing Mats Zuccarello due to an upper-body injury that occurred in Game 1 and felt his absence on their flagging power play. The Wild were 0 for 4 in regulation, with just one goal in their last 15 opportunities.
The power-play disparity has been stark, much like in the first round in 2023 when Dallas downed Minnesota in six games.
Ryan Hartman was whistled for goaltender interference just 4:31 into the game, and Robertson responded by snapping in a rebound after Matt Duchene — who has seven points in four games — muscled a shot from just outside the crease that ricocheted off Wallstedt.
The Stars, who are playing without top center Roope Hintz, have managed to get shots through the screens and attack the net far more effectively on the man advantage.
After the Wild had two empty power plays in the first period with just three seconds between them, the home crowd that has seen this script many times before booed the last group off the ice.
Even strength is where the Wild must live if they're going to mount a comeback. They're up 9-4 in 5-on-5 goals, including Faber's wrister that tied it later in the first period by glancing off Heiskanen's glove.
Oettinger, who stopped 40 shots in another steely performance in his home state, deserved better on that.
“Jake made some incredible saves,” Robertson said.
Wallstedt has been a bulwark all series. The Wall of St. Paul thwarted plenty more prime chances, but playing 4-on-5 doesn't help. After Faber took a high-sticking penalty, Heiskanen zipped a shot from the slot that eluded Wallstedt's shoulder and scraped the top of the net.
Stars defenseman Nils Lundkvist left during the second period after taking an inadvertent skate to the face by Michael McCarron as Lundkvist was being called for tripping McCarron. Lundkvist suffered a deep laceration and didn't return. He'll get further examination in Dallas, Gulutzan said.
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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Dave Campbell, The Associated Press
