3 Things to Watch: Stars at Wild, Game 4 of Western Conference 1st Round

(2C) Stars at (3C) Wild

Western Conference First Round, Game 4

Dallas leads best-of-7 series 2-1

5:30 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, FDSNWI, FDSNNO, Victory+, truTV, TBS, SNP, SNW, SNO, TVAS

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Dallas Stars' so-called late arrival to the Stanley Cup Playoffs feels like forever ago based on how the past two games in the Western Conference First Round have played out.

The Stars got blitzed out of the gate, losing Game 1 by a 6-1 margin, making it look like they were playing just another regular-season game while the Minnesota Wild were playing a playoff game.

But Dallas has rallied with two straight wins, including 4-3 in double overtime on Wednesday, and can now put the Wild on the brink of elimination by winning Game 4 at Grand Casino Arena on Saturday.

To get it done, though, discipline will be required, and the Stars and Wild have both struggled in that area, even if Dallas' special teams have improved in the past two games while Minnesota's have sank.

There have been 32 power-play opportunities in the three games, 17 for Dallas and 15 for Minnesota. The Stars have gone 5-for-13 (38.5 percent) in the past two games, whereas the Wild are 1-for-11 (9.1 percent). Minnesota was 2-for-4 in Game 1 while Dallas was 1-for-4.

"Certainly, the team that gets to the discipline the quickest is probably going to get the best chance to get out of the series," Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said. "We all know that, and usually these things settle down on their own as you go longer in the series.

"As the series goes on, some of the wild wild west goes out of the series and a little bit more, I'm not saying conservative, but guys are more cautious of making a mistake, so everything gets tighter."

The past two games have been tight at 5-on-5, with each team generating three goals. During that stretch, the Wild have 46 shots on goal at even strength, and the Stars have 44.

That only lends itself more to thinking about the impact special teams can make in Game 4, but that's if the Stars and Wild allow that to be the case.

"It's been a tight series," Minnesota coach John Hynes said. "Game 1, yeah we scored a few more goals than they did, but the last two games were extremely competitive. I think lines and things like that, there hasn't been many changes -- for us there has been because of injury, not many changes for them. Both teams are going at it. It's about the players."

Here are three things to watch in Game 4:

1. Can Kirill bring the thrill?

Kirill Kaprizov has been a factor on the score sheet with a goal and three assists in the first three games.

However, there's this feeling around the series that the Wild's most dynamic forward and leading scorer in the regular season can be more dangerous than he's been, especially in the previous two games, when he played without regular linemate Mats Zuccarello, who is out with an upper-body injury and is considered a game-time decision for Game 4.

Hynes, in fact, talked about Kaprizov on Friday, mentioning all the things he does when he's playing at his best, like moving his feet, driving the net, taking the defense wide and then cutting in, playing deep in the offensive zone, getting to the inside, challenging from the goal line, and being physical with reverse shoulder hits.

"When he does that he's a dynamite player," Hynes said.

He stopped short of saying Kaprizov isn't doing that in the series, but Hynes said he was going to have a conversation with the star forward to give him some reminders, possibly about all those elements of his game he mentioned as being factors in what makes him a special player.

"Sometimes guys just need a little conversation as well, too," Hynes said. "I think that's really what it is. We know the competitive nature of Kirill. I'm confident. He's been a factor in the series, and we're going to need him to continue to be a factor moving forward."

2. Playing the slot

The Wild played 4 1/2 periods of hockey in Game 3 without generating much from the slot, including on seven power-play opportunities.

The Stars have taken away that area in the past two games after being exposed in Game 1, when Joel Eriksson Ek scored both of his power-play goals on shots from in or near the slot.

The Wild's overall game has suffered without the ability to win the middle of the ice. It's been most noticeable on their power play because it hasn't been able to use the bumper position as a weapon.

It has also played a role for Jake Oettinger finding his way in the series. He has allowed five goals on 62 shots (.919 save percentage) in the past two games, including one on 12 shots against Minnesota's power play, after giving up five goals on 28 shots (.821 save percentage), including two on seven shots when on the penalty kill, in Game 1.

"You're down a guy, so there's always going to be something that you're leaving open, but for us it was like, the middle of the ice is the most dangerous spot, so if we can try to clog that up and keep it outside then it's easier for me," Oettinger said. "I have more time if they have to make a 30-foot pass that has a chance to get broken up compared to a bang-bang to the slot."

3. Two of the best

Anyone watching Game 4 will have to pay attention to Minnesota's Quinn Hughes and Dallas' Miro Heiskanen, because the star defensemen will probably be playing half the game, or at least close to it.

But this time, we'll be watching them three days removed from them both playing the most minutes in a game in their NHL careers.

Hughes led everyone in Game 3 with 43:47 of ice time in 38 shifts. Heiskanen was just 42 seconds behind him at 43:05, getting there in 42 shifts.

It's too easy to say that the elite blueliner who plays better will lead his team to a win, because differentiating between them in this series has been almost impossible. But if one of them has that kind of game, there's a chance his team will too.

So, yes, watch them, but realistically you won't have a choice. They will be visible.

"It's always fun to compete against guys like that," Heiskanen said. "It's a good battle."

Stars projected lineup

Justin Hryckowian -- Wyatt Johnston -- Mikko Rantanen

Jason Robertson -- Matt Duchene -- Mavrik Bourque

Sam Steel -- Arttu Hyry -- Jamie Benn

Oskar Back -- Radek Faksa -- Colin Blackwell

Esa Lindell -- Miro Heiskanen

Thomas Harley -- Nils Lundkvist

Lian Bichsel -- Tyler Myers

Jake Oettinger

Casey DeSmith

Scratched: Michael Bunting, Kyle Capobianco, Adam Erne, Ilya Lyubushkin, Alexander Petrovic

Injured: Nathan Bastian (hand), Roope Hintz (lower body), Tyler Seguin (ACL)

Wild projected lineup

Kirill Kaprizov -- Ryan Hartman -- Bobby Brink 

Marcus Johansson -- Joel Eriksson Ek -- Matt Boldy

Nick Foligno -- Danila Yurov -- Vladimir Tarasenko

Nico Sturm -- Michael McCarron -- Marcus Foligno

Quinn Hughes -- Brock Faber

Jonas Brodin -- Jared Spurgeon

Jake Middleton -- Zach Bogosian

Jesper Wallstedt

Filip Gustavsson

Scratched: Robby Fabbri, Nick Foligno, Daemon Hunt, Matt Kiersted, Jeff Petry, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Viking Gustafsson Nyberg, Hunter Haight, Ben Jones, Carson Lambos, David Spacek, Riley Mercer, Chase Wutzke

Injured: Mats Zuccarello (upper body), Yakov Trenin (upper body)

Status report

Hintz will remain unavailable for Game 4 after the timeline for his return was pushed back prior to Game 2 on Monday. The forward has not skated since he was injured March 6. ... The Stars will use the same lineup from a 4-3 double-overtime win in Game 3. ... Zuccarello, a forward who skated on his own before the Wild practiced Friday, will be a game-time decision after missing the past two games. ... Trenin, a forward, will miss his second straight game. ... Bogosian took a maintenance day on Friday but is expected to play.