Wild beat Stars in 3-2 double OT thriller on Ryan Hartman goal to open playoffs
Kirill Kaprizov #97 of the Minnesota Wild is congratulated by Mats Zuccarello #36 after scoring a goal during the first period against the Dallas Stars in Game One of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center on Apr ((Photo by Sam Hodde/NHLI via Getty Images))
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - It took more than 92 minutes of game time for it to happen, but the Minnesota Wild beat the Dallas Stars 3-2 in double overtime to steal a road win in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Ryan Hartman was the hero early Tuesday morning, scoring the game-winner at the 12:20 mark of the second overtime, beating Jake Oettinger after gathering a loose puck in front of the net. It ended the longest playoff game in Wild franchise history with a win and 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
"It was a great hockey game. The hockey game had everything, we’re happy the way we held our composure and all that good stuff that everybody talks about in the playoffs," Wild coach Dean Evason said after the win. "It’s a good first step, that is ultimate playoff hockey. The way that everybody was competing was the way the game should be played."
Sam Steel, who tied the game 2-2 at 14:25 of the second period on a breakaway goal after a feed from Gustav Nyquist, got to the puck in the corner and deflected it for Hartman’s game-winner.
Filip Gustavsson might have been the best player on the ice for the Wild Monday night. In his first playoff start, he finished with franchise playoff record 52 saves and kept Minnesota in the game when the team had tired legs in overtime. He out-did Oettinger's 45 saves.
"He’s pretty good, right? He conducted himself very well," Evason said. "Some of the saves that both of them made, it was like nobody was going to score."
Brock Faber, less than two weeks into his NHL career, provided an assist in double overtime by getting a stick on a Dallas shot on an open net to prevent the game-winning goal in just his third NHL game.
"He certainly didn't look out of place," Evason said.
The Wild took a 1-0 lead late in the first period, as Kirill Kaprizov deflected a Jared Spurgeon shot for a goal at the 19:13 mark.
The Stars answered with a pair of second period goals on the power play to take a 2-1 lead. Three seconds after Hartman took a boarding penalty, Roope Hintz scored at the 2:08 mark to tie the game.
Two minutes later, Marcus Foligno was whistled for slashing. Six seconds into that power play, Jason Robertson scored to give the Stars a 2-1 lead. It stayed that way until the 14:25 mark of the second period, when Nyquist hit Steel on a breakaway, and he beat Jake Oettinger for the tying goal.
More than 65 minutes of game time passed before the Wild got the game-winner. Hartman had a puck carom to him from the corner, and buried it after the Wild had several chances to win the game earlier.
The Wild leads the series 1-0 with Game 2 in Dallas Wednesday night.