3 Takeaways From Wild’s 2OT Loss to Stars in Game 3 – Hockey Writers – Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild hosted the Dallas Stars for Game 3 of Round 1 on Wednesday evening, April 22. It was a late puck drop, and the Wild looked to bounce back in the series after falling 4-2 to Dallas in Game 2 on Monday night, Apr. 20. Both Mats Zuccarello and Yakov Trenin were out due to injury to Bobby Snico.

Jesper Wallstedt hit the net again, and the game started in favor of the Stars, who quickly gained momentum and wasted no time. They scored again later in the period to take a two-goal lead, but the Wild responded with a 2-1 lead to end the period. The Wild dominated the second half and came from behind to lead 3-2 at the end of the period.

The Stars tied it and forced overtime. One overtime was not enough, and the Stars won in double overtime and took a 2-1 series lead. In this article, we’ll look at a few takeaways, starting with the special teams’ struggles, followed by the bright spots, because there were a couple.

Wild Had Chances

This is something Wild fans have heard many times over the seasons, and that’s how they got their chances and couldn’t convert on them. Although the stadium was packed with fans who were angry with the officials, the Wild had plenty of power play opportunities, and had two in the first overtime alone that would normally have been more than enough for the team to win.

The Wild got seven of eight total chances, while the Stars got one and the Stars got three, including the game-winner. It’s a story known as Wild and Stars; everyone knew the power play would be important, and in Game 3, it went the Stars’ way.

“I think it was there at times, but it wasn’t enough. Obviously, they scored more points than we did on the power play, so you know we’re going to get into that as well. We knew coming into the series that that was going to be a big part of it. So we’ve got to be better,” head coach John Hynes told the media in his postgame conference about the power play, and we continued to see that teams have lost, so we’ve got to be better. not good enough, we knew it was going to be a factor, and I can say we had it in Game 1, we didn’t have it in Game 2, and we didn’t have it tonight…”

“It’s hockey, they worked hard with them, it’s not very easy for them, it is, I think, yes, there are a lot of special teams, but yes, there are a lot of penalties. They do everything they can, we try to do everything possible and have a lot of power plays, they had a lot, not as we had the power to play. As I said to them, it’s not easy,” said Matt Boldy to the media after the game when asked about the penalties he missed and those called.

Wild McCarron “Big Mac” Shines Bright

Even though they lost, there was something that stood out in this game, one of them almost won them. This player has been a solid addition to the roster since joining the Wild at the trade deadline, and that player is Michael McCarron. He stands at 6-foot-6 off of skates, and makes his presence known, but not always in a physical way. He is a great piece on the penalty kill and was key to the Wild getting off a penalty kill late in the second that led to a goal.

He got a pass at the Wild blue line from Nick Foligno and was off to the races, then inside the zone he fired a shot past Jake Oettinger that gave the Wild a 3-2 lead in the third period. He continued to be a factor throughout the night, and even though the Wild lost, it was not on his shoulders as he did his best all night. He has been a difference maker, and if he continues to push the way he has, he will find his way onto the score sheet more often.

“It seems like the longer this series goes on, the tougher and more competitive and competitive it is out there: Yeah, it’s the same, two very good teams where we’re playing solid hockey. We’re going to have to continue to get our chances in front of the net, work on them down low. I think it’s going to be very similar. I know, I mean, I’m not going to be much better. They’re both playing good hockey right now, and we’re going to have to find an identity,” McCarron said to the media. after the game about the length of the series and how it affects the game.

The Second Row of the Wild Gets a Success

The Wild found themselves in a hole starting the game when the Stars jumped up 2-0 and looked like they would control the game. Instead, the Wild responded with a goal late in the first on a run, which led to a momentum shift in the second half. They eventually took the lead, and most of it was due to the efforts of their second line.

Marcus Johansson scored on the power play in the first half to restore momentum to the building and give his team the momentum they needed heading into the break. In the second half, that line was full of ice, and it paid off as Joel Eriksson Ek beat Matt Boldy’s header to tie the game at 2-2, and the building erupted. While it wouldn’t last, that streak was the strongest the Wild had in Game 3.

“Yeah, for Matt, I mean, he’s a great player as we know, and I’m glad he was able to come back, and he had a big impact on the game for us,” Hynes said after the game when asked about the type of player Boldy was and how he was able to return to the game after taking a stick to the head.

The Wild will have a few days off to digest this game and find ways to improve in Game 4, which will take place on Saturday afternoon, April 25. They will then return to Dallas for Game 5, which will take place on Tuesday. April 28