A pair of questionable penalties led to two power-play goals and the Dallas Stars as defeated the Minnesota Wild 3-2 Sunday night to even the best-of-seven series at two games apiece, with Game 5 returning to Dallas Tuesday night.
Tyler Seguin scored both power-play goals for Dallas, and Jake Oettinger, who starred at Lakeville North High School in the southern Twin Cities metro area, was phenomenal in goal for the Stars. Oettinger saved the game with an incredible block on what would've tied the game in the waning seconds of the third period.
Minnesota dominated the pace of the play, especially in the first two periods as they had at least eight odd-man rushes including a pair of breakaways. But Lakeville native Jake Oettinger was stoic in net, blocking breakaway chances from Marcus Foligno and Kirill Kaprizov to preserve a 0-0 game.
The Stars broke the ice with a power-play goal deep in the second period, though it was a fortunate one as a shot redirected off a skate and trickled through Filip Gustavsson's legs for a 1-0 lead at 15:42 of the period.
Tyler Seguin was credited with the goal, which came after Foligno was whistled for interference. The replay shows what appears to be a clean hit by the Wild forward.
After the Stars and Wild traded goals within the first six minutes of the third period – Evgenii Dadonov for Dallas and John Klingberg for Minnesota – the Wild found themselves pressed against the wall after Foligno was penalized for tripping, though it was Foligo who skated to the penalty box with a cut across the bridge of his nose.
That set the stage for Seguin's second goal of the night and a 3-1 Dallas lead.
Dallas's Jani Hakanpaa was called for tripping with 1:33 left in the game and just seven seconds into the man advantage Freddy Gaudreau scored to make it a 3-2 game.
Still in desperation mode, Minnesota pulled Gustavsson for an extra attacker and it nearly paid off when Marcus Johansson ripped a one-timer off a loose puck in the slog tna d put one right on goal, only to have Oettinger there for the game-saving save.
Oettinger made 32 saves while Gustavsson made 21 saves for the Wild.
Game 5 is Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Dallas.
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