Dallas Stars score: Game 2 vs. Minnesota Wild

DALLAS — (AP) — Roope Hintz had a target in every duration, getting his first profession hat trick by way of scoring 3 alternative ways, because the Dallas Stars stepped up with out Joe Pavelski to get even of their first-round sequence in opposition to the Minnesota Wild.

(*2*) in Game 2, added a even-strength target in the second one duration after which finished with a power-play goal within the 3rd duration of the Stars’ 7-3 win over the Wild on Wednesday evening.

“He’s elite and he’s capable of taking over games like that. And we needed him,” Dallas trainer Pete DeBoer mentioned. “Our team, with what happened with Pavelski the other night, a little bit rattled, we needed our our best players to step up tonight and make a statement. And they did. Every one of them, not just Roope.”

Evgenii Dadonov scored two times for the Stars, whilst captain Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin each had power-play objectives. Miro Heiskanen, their high-scoring defenseman, had 4 assists, whilst 100-point scorer Jason Robertson had two. Hintz additionally had an help.

The Dallas scoring onslaught got here in opposition to three-time Stanley Cup champion goalie Marc-André Fleury, who were given the beginning even after 24-year-old Filip Gustavsson made his playoff debut with a franchise-record 51 saves within the sequence opener the Wild received 3-2 in double time beyond regulation.

“It’s what we do, right? We’ve done it all year,” Minnesota trainer Dean Evason mentioned of the goalies who’ve break up video games many of the season. “Nothing was once on Fleury this night, it was once all on us. … They had a short-handed breakaway and two power-play objectives. What do you want Fleury to do?”

Game 3 is Friday evening in Minnesota.

The Stars by no means trailed after Hintz’s breakaway short-hander simply 4 1/2 mins into the sport, after Joel Kiviranta’s takeaway within the defensive finish. Dallas led 2-0 halfway in the course of the first duration when Seguin, in entrance of Fleury, redirected a protracted one-timer by way of Robertson right through a longer persistent play.

“When you lose a player like Joe, it’s a great opportunity for other guys to step up, and I thought we did that as a group here from top to bottom,” Benn mentioned.

Seguin began at the most sensible line along Robertson and Hintz with Pavelski in concussion protocol after banging his head at the ice following a crushing blow from Matt Dumba in the second one duration of the sequence opener. Dumba was once booed as regards to each time he touched the puck Wednesday.

Dadonov and Hintz every scored their moment objectives of the sport in a 48-second span overdue in the second one duration for a 6-3 lead. That was the last of three pairs of quick-scoring goals in that center duration — two by way of the Stars that sandwiched an even-quicker scoring duo by way of the Wild.

Benn had his target and an help on Dadonov’s first rating in an 87-second span that put the Stars up 4-1 and ignite the six-goal center duration.

Minnesota’s two objectives in fast succession have been Marcus Johansson’s quick backhander on an influence play, 11 seconds sooner than Frederick Gaudreau had a equivalent shot previous Jake Oettinger to get the Wild inside of one.

Oettinger, the 24-year-old who wears No. 29 after rising up partial to Fleury, stopped 23 photographs.

The 38-year-old Fleury had 24 saves in his 168th profession playoff recreation. He have been 8-3-1 over his ultimate 12 begins of the common season.

“Embarrassing on my part, you know. Giving up seven goals like that in the playoffs,” Fleury mentioned. “I need to are available and provides a possibility to my workforce within the recreation and win, and that’s now not what I did. … Bottom line, I didn’t make any key saves within the recreation.”

Seguin’s power-play target got here 3 1/2 mins after Jake Middleton were given a double minor for a excessive stick in opposition to Max Domi, who were given up with blood on his nostril. Fleury withstood being peppered by way of 4 photographs within the first two mins of that persistent play, with Hintz getting two of the ones.

Hintz, who has 4 objectives on this sequence, is the primary participant with a short-handed, power-play and even-strength target in a playoff recreation since Tyler Johnson did it for Tampa Bay in opposition to the New York Rangers in 2015.

There have been six 10-minute misconduct consequences problems within the recreation’s closing 5 1/2 mins. Domi and Kaprizov were given despatched off first after their battle. Marcus Foligno, Brandon Duhaime and Ryan Reaves later left the ice early for the Wild, and Benn were given a misconduct penalty within the ultimate minute.

“That’s playoff hockey, a lot of emotions,” Evason mentioned.

After Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday in Minnesota, the sequence will go back to Dallas for Game 5 on Tuesday evening.