Wyatt Johnston played late-night hero in St. Paul, getting a double-overtime deflection on Miro Heiskanen's point shot to give the Dallas Stars a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild in Game 3 on Wednesday night. The series tilts Dallas' way at 2-1 after a penalty-packed grind that kept fans in both markets glued to their screens well past midnight.
The winner came 12:10 into the second overtime when Johnston got his stick on Heiskanen's blast and redirected it past Jesper Wallstedt. The goal, which he punctuated on television with a quick "Sorry to keep you guys up," finally ended the marathon and sent Dallas home happy, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Stars' Special Teams Turned The Tide
On a night when the whistles barely cooled off, Dallas' special teams did most of the talking. The Stars cashed in three times on eight power plays while holding Minnesota to a single goal on seven chances. According to NHL.com, the Stars' penalty kill slammed the door on six Wild power plays, creating the kind of edge that usually decides a playoff game.
One of the more dramatic moments came late in the second period, when Dallas earned a prolonged 5-on-3 but could not convert. That missed opportunity set the stage for the extended overtime drama and Johnston's eventual game winner.
How The Scoring Unfolded
Dallas grabbed early control with a 2-0 lead, as Jason Robertson first helped set up a redirection goal for Mikko Rantanen and later finished off a rush himself. But the Wild punched back. Marcus Johansson, Joel Eriksson Ek and Michael McCarron answered for Minnesota, with McCarron briefly giving the Wild a late second-period lead.
The Stars refused to let it stick. Matt Duchene ripped a third-period power-play snap shot to level the game at 3-3 and force overtime, according to The Dallas Morning News. From there, both teams traded chances until Johnston's tip finally settled it.
What's Next
With the win, Dallas takes a 2-1 series lead and stays in St. Paul for Game 4 on Saturday, April 25 at 4:30 p.m. CT. The date, time and local broadcast details are listed on the Minnesota Wild's schedule page.
History is quietly leaning in the Stars' direction, too. Teams that grab a 2-1 edge in a best-of-seven series go on to win roughly 70 percent of the time, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which only raises the stakes for both sides heading into Saturday.
