Postgame: All Tied Up After 4

SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- In a game of inches, Game 4 of this compelling Minnesota Wild/Dallas Stars playoff series literally came down to just that fine a line.
With about six seconds left in a one-goal game, and the Wild pushing for the equalizer, Dallas netminder Jake Oettinger moving right to left across his crease robbed Marcus Johansson on a one-timer to preserve the Stars' 3-2 victory.
There's a lot to unpack in this one but the bottom line is that it's down to a best-of-three with the series knotted at two wins apiece.
Game 5 is in Dallas Tuesday night.
"There's going to be different outcomes every game, momentum switches, there's going to be special teams," said Minnesota defenseman John Klingberg who continues to impress in his first playoff experience with the Wild scoring and adding an assist. "But, I mean, we felt like we were the better team 5-on-5. I don't think we're frustrated, obviously you're disappointed you lost the game, but if we keep playing like that we know we have a really good chance to win. The goals are going to come."

The Elephant In The Room

Has there ever been an NHL playoff game after which everyone agreed the officiating was perfect? No. Was Game 4 among the majority of NHL playoff games when it comes to discussing officiating? Yes. After no penalties were called through the first period, the final two periods saw Dallas get three power play chances and Minnesota four. Safe to say fans of both teams felt there were a number of calls that didn't seem to meet the smell test.
In the end Dallas made good on their opportunities as they have in both of their victories, scoring twice on three chances and now have scored seven times with the man advantage in the series.
The Wild scored once with the man advantage which was a 6-on-4 with Filip Gustavsson on the bench and the team trailing 3-1.
Marcus Foligno was at the heart of much of the drama all over the ice in Game 4 including the penalty issues. He was whistled for interference on Jani Hakanpää in the second period but replays show the puck is being played by the Dallas defenseman. Then, late in the third period, he was called for tripping in front of the Dallas bench after checking Mason Marchment who also got his stick up in Foligno's face.
Dallas scored what would turn out to be the game-winner during the second Foligno penalty. That led to the ejection of Ryan Hartman for barking at the officials with a 10-minute misconduct.
"It's a joke. It doesn't make any sense," Foligno told reporters after. "I go to hit a guy. He touches the puck. It's not interference. I get high-sticked in the face. It's not a tripping call when you hit a guy clean on. It's bull..."
Asked if he got any clarification from the officials Foligno said he did not.
"No. Arrogant," he said.

The Elephant In The Room Part Deux

As anyone who follows the NHL, and especially the playoffs, knows the league pays close attention to how officials are treated on and off the ice. So if anyone was waiting for Head Coach Dean Evason to unload, they would have been disappointed. Still, the coach delivered a subtle but strongly-worded explanation of his feelings on how the game was called and what his team's response would be.

"Listen, everyone in the hockey world watched that game. We all know what happened. I'm not going to comment on them," Evason said.
"We have our opinions but what's the point? You can all write about it and talk about it. There's no point in whining about it now. They're gone. Our game was really good. If anything we should've scored, could've scored earlier. We had lots of good chances so we liked the way that we're playing the game. Hard. Physical. Finishing our checks the right way. How playoff hockey should be played. It should be physical. It should be intense. It should be hitting hard. That's what playoff hockey is. We were doing that."

Evason insisted there wasn't anything to be discouraged about after a performance that saw the Stars allow just one five-on-five goal and that one moments after the expiration of a Dallas penalty.

"We didn't get rewarded tonight and you can make your evaluation of why we didn't get rewarded tonight. But we didn't. If we play like that we will get rewarded," Evason said.

Oettinger As Advertised

If there is a lament that doesn't involve men in striped shirts when it comes to the Wild's part in Game 4 it is the fact that it was once again the best team at even strength and enjoyed more odd-man rushes and high danger chances than Dallas but were thwarted at every turn by Oettinger.
This includes a marvelous stop on a Marcus Foligno breakaway where Foligno also got good wood on the rebound of the initial save in the second period.
"Yeah, breakaway chances, Oettinger played really good tonight," Foligno said. "That's what it all came down to. We didn't score. We played a hell of a game. It's a great game by us and just didn't get the result. It's playoffs. Just got to forget and get ready for next game."
Foligno's glorious chance was followed by a similarly sparkling save on a breakaway for Kirill Kaprizov.
And then there was the game-saving heist on the Johansson shot. In all, Oettinger stopped 32 of 34 Minnesota shots in what was his finest performance of this playoff series.
"Just another crappy bounce for us," Oettinger said of the save on Johansson. "Went right to their guy. Tried to get over there as quick as I can. Luckily, it stayed out."
"I just want to step up," added the native of Lakeville, Minnesota who had some friends and family chanting his name at the end. "Every guy on our team is going to have moments that they need to step up in the playoffs. It was my turn tonight and we'll have guys step up in Game 5. We need everyone and everyone's got to step up."

Special Teams Story Rewritten Once Again

It seems almost too simple to suggest at this stage, but win or saw off the Stars in the special teams battle and Minnesota is the better team. Lose that battle, whether that's in giving the Stars too many opportunities or failing to capitalize on power plays of their own and the Stars control the game. It's not overstating to say the outcome of this will determine the series given that it has dictated wins and losses through four games.
"Power play's been good all year and it's been a weapon for us. We stuck it in the net," Dallas Head Coach Pete DeBoer said. "We didn't make them pay for taking penalties last game, we wanted to make sure we did tonight. And we did."
As he has at different times in the series, DeBoer alluded to Minnesota's lack of discipline as a factor in the Dallas game plan.
"If they're going to play physical and run around and do things like that, you've got to make them pay for that on the power play and we did," DeBoer said.
"The officials are out there doing the best they can and they're not going to get every call right," he added. "But I thought, again, special teams were a big part and we're a good special-team team. We have been all year. I've said this before, they take penalties, and when they do, we have to make them pay."

Looking For Young Guns To Explode

We noted in our pre-game storylines that it appeared as though Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy were ready to start producing in a way that is consistent with their regular season play. That's a TBD after Game 4. Boldy drew an assist on the second Minnesota goal, on the power play, with an extra skater on the ice. Kaprizov hasn't registered a point since Game 1 although he did have a breakaway and finished with four shots on goal, tied for the team lead, and 11 shot attempts, his highest total in the series. Boldy had no shots on goal and four attempts. Both players are critical to the success of the Wild power play that looked disjointed until the final, desperate attempt. "Yeah, you always want to score. Everyone in this room wants to score, especially in this building in front of our fans," Boldy said. "Just the energy you can get from it, everything. But, yeah, I'm getting my chances. Line's playing well, puck's coming my way. It's just kind of finding the back of the net and it will come."

Early Storyline

It's all about parking everything after every game but in an achingly close game like Game 4 it will be about tamping down the frustration over officiating and addressing the clearly critical issues of the Wild holding their own on special teams as the series moves into the crucial stages where the emotions have the potential to be sky-high given the stakes.

Final Word

"We're not gonna stop playing hard, just because some calls. That's not right. You play the game hard; you play the game right. Play physical. That's what you're supposed to do, you're supposed to finish your checks. It'd be more frustrating at this point if we were high-sticking and taking undisciplined penalties. Like, we're not. It's not, that's not the situation. It's just good, hard, physical hockey and we'll continue to do that."
- Minnesota Wild Head Coach Dean Evason