At American Airlines Center on Monday night, the Dallas Stars muscled their way past the Minnesota Wild 4-2 in a chippy, whistle-filled Game 2 to even the first-round series. Brock Faber scored both of Minnesota’s goals, but the Wild came up empty on four power-play chances, and an empty-netter late in the third period slammed the door. The series now swings back to St. Paul for Game 3 on Wednesday night.
Faber Keeps Wild Within Striking Distance
Brock Faber was the Wild’s spark plug, striking twice to keep Minnesota hanging around in the chaos. His first goal erased an early deficit and tied things up, and his second marker in the third period sliced Dallas’ lead down to one, giving the Wild a brief jolt of life before the Stars closed it out. The official box score and scoring summary are available from ESPN.
Stars Cash In With Timely Special Teams
Dallas tilted the night back in its favor when Matt Duchene beat Jesper Wallstedt on a power-play strike at 4:02 of the second period. Jason Robertson then got the crucial insurance in the third, getting a piece of a shot for a tipped goal that gave the Stars breathing room before the late empty-net finish. The sequence and play-by-play are detailed by CBS Sports.
Oettinger, Heavy Hits And Missed Chances
Jake Oettinger delivered a string of momentum-saving stops, including two highlight-reel glove saves to stonewall Matt Boldy and kill Wild surges before they started. Minnesota’s power play never found a rhythm, going 0-for-4 in a game where special teams were begging to steal the spotlight. Things turned nastier as the night wore on, with Yakov Trenin leaving after an open-ice collision and Marcus Foligno being hit with a four-minute double-minor in the third period. Those moments and more are recapped by Bring Me The News.
What’s Next
Game 3 is scheduled for Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. CT in St. Paul, where the Wild will try to flip the script on home ice and the Stars will look to ride their Game 2 mojo into a series lead. The official playoff schedule and notes are on NHL.com.
