Postgame: Wild Win Game 1

DALLAS, Tex. - Simply epic.
In one of the greatest games in Minnesota Wild history, and certainly the longest in team history, the Wild held off a consistent Dallas charge through a period and a half of overtime before Ryan Hartman took advantage of a Dallas turnover to give Minnesota a 3-2 win and a one-game series lead in this opening round matchup with the Stars.
In their past 15 playoff series the Wild had managed to win Game 1 just three times.
"We did hang on for a bit there," head coach Dean Evason said. "It was a great hockey game. The flows were back and forth. The overtimes, obviously there's some unbelievable looks and great saves. The hockey game had everything. So, yeah, we're happy the way that we held our composure and all that good stuff that everybody talks about in the playoffs. We did it tonight. We got to do it again."

Turning Point

Obviously Hartman waiting patiently before snapping the puck past superlative Dallas netminder Jake Oettinger at 12:20 of the second overtime period, was 'the' moment in the night. But he doesn't get that chance if it's not for rookie defenseman Brock Faber, playing in his first NHL playoff game and just his third NHL game total.
In the second overtime period Dallas forward Mason Marchment found himself with space in the slot and with netminder Filip Gustavsson trying to move from left to right Marchment had most of the net at his disposal. But just as Marchment released Faber dove across and got his stick on the puck deflecting it out of play.
"That was my guy," Faber said after. "Thankfully I did get a stick on it because I obviously should have been tighter. But I'm glad. I got pretty lucky at the end there and I could keep that game going. I'd say that's a bit of luck there for sure."
"There was no really thinking," he added. "I turned around. the puck was there and I tried my best to get my stick in the lane. Thankfully I did."
Did he see the replay on the big screen at American Airlines Center after?
"I looked up and watched but I wasn't watching for that but kind of was at the same time. But, yeah, just crazy. It's crazy," Faber said.

First Time Is A Charm

Faber was one of three Wild players getting their first taste of NHL playoff action on this night and all three made notable contributions to the critical win. As noted Faber likely saved the game with his play and was otherwise a solid, stable presence playing 17:58.
Netminder Filip Gustavsson, who gave up two power play goals from Dallas in a span of 2:05 to briefly give Dallas a 2-1 lead, was outstanding in the latter stages of regulation and overtime when the Stars held the bulk of the play and also had three more power play opportunities.
Gustavsson stopped 51 shots including all 27 Dallas shots in overtime in a memorable playoff debut. In fact he is one of only five NHL netminders to record 51 or more saves in their first NHL playoff start.
"Yeah, it's more of a mental reset. We're still only down one shot after those two goals," Gustavsson said. "We're still in the game. I can't just give up and throw that game away. I have to do it for the guys and for myself. It's more of a mental reset because I know I can save those pucks and save the next shots that come at me."
Finally, Sam Steel was the third Wild player making his first playoff appearance and his breakaway goal in the second period knotted the game at two. He was also credited with an assist on Hartman's game-winner as the puck caromed off his skate before Hartman scored.
Not a bad night for something that has been a long time coming for the 25-year-old former first-round pick of Anaheim.
"I've been waiting for a long time to get into a playoff game. A lot of different emotions going in," said Steel who played 25:47 on the night. "I think I settled in nicely and I think we played a solid game for however many minutes it was. Nice to get the first one out of the way. Obviously a huge win."
His goal came after the Stars had scored their two power play goals and came courtesy of a beautiful pass from Gustav Nyquist.
"I mean you want to contribute for sure when you get the chance to be in a playoff game," Steel said. "Like you said, great pass from Gus and just tried to beat the back pressure and try to put something upstairs. And I ended up beating him so yeah it ended up being nice, a big moment in the game."

The Pavelski Incident

Just past the mid-point of the second period Matt Dumba caught veteran Dallas forward Joe Pavelski with a thunderous hit as Pavelski was trying to swing from left to right towards the Wild goal. Pavelski didn't see the hit coming and both he and Dumba flew into the air. Pavelski's head struck the ice after the hit and he had to be helped to the locker room and did not return.
Dallas forward Max Domi went after Dumba and there was a brief melee.
After initially calling a major on Dumba, officials conferred and ruled there was not a major penalty on the hit and Domi ended up getting a minor penalty and a 10-minute misconduct. Instead of facing the potent Dallas power play Minnesota ended up playing four-on-four.
Dumba ended up playing a game-high 38:31 for the Wild.
"To be honest I thought it was a clean hit," Dumba said. "I figured they were going to see the same -- shoulder on shoulder. I don't even know why I got the roughing. It was probably just because I was in the box already." After the incident the Stars went after Dumba a couple of times and the sellout crowd at AAC booed him lustily. But the veteran defenseman played perhaps the best game of his career.
"I mean, make a hit like that and you've got to stay locked in, got to keep the head on a swivel, guys are coming," Dumba said. "That just played into exactly what I wanted to do. Just move pucks quick and let our forwards go to work. We've got a great deep set of forwards. For us defensemen it's making that first pass and getting out of our zone, doing the little things, boxing out, blocking shots. Everyone did that tonight."

Penalty Kill Yin And Yang

As noted the Wild gave up two power play goals in just over two minutes. In each case the goals were scored within seconds of the penalty call, first three and then six. That was not a good look for a penalty kill group that is going to need to find a way to keep the potent Dallas power play from dominating the series. But from that point on the Wild were locked in when down a man. They killed off three Dallas power plays the rest of the way, including one in double-overtime to one of the team's best penalty killers, Frederick Gaudreau. Just over a minute after killing the Gaudreau minor for tripping, Hartman ended the playoff marathon.
"The composure and again those two goals go in there's not letdown and that's what our group's done all year," Evason said. "And we've talked about that before with hockey teams is there's a sag when something negative happens. Our team doesn't have that in us, in them. They just keep going and we obviously knew we were going to kill some more penalties and the killers did a great job."

Stat Of The Game

Kirill Kaprizov became the 10th player in the NHL's modern era (after 1944) to score 10 career playoff goals in 14 games or fewer and only the second player to accomplish the feat in the last 32 years. Vladimir Tarasenko was the other to do so in 2015. Kaprizov, who scored the team's first goal on a nice deflection on a power play, has 10 goals and two assists in 14 playoff games.

Early Game 2 Storylines

Dallas head coach Pete DeBoer was noncommittal about whether Pavelski, one of the greatest U.S.-born playoff performers in NHL history, would be available for Game 2 Wednesday night. He said Pavelski was "okay," but then clarified what he meant. "No I'm not confident for Game 2," DeBoer said. "He's okay. He's walking out of the rink on his own okay."
The Wild were without Joel Eriksson Ek who, in spite of two strong days of skating with skills and skating coach Andy Ness on Saturday and Sunday and taking the morning skate Monday, wasn't ready to go in Game 1. Also, John Klingberg, who suffered a lower body injury in Sunday's practice, wasn't able to suit up for Game 1. Given the victory in Game 1 it's hard to imagine either player would be rushed back into the lineup for Game 2. The team will hold an optional practice Tuesday although given the length of Game 1 it's likely to be lightly attended.