Ryan Hartman had a goal and two assists to lead the Minnesota Wild to a 5-1 victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 3 of their Western Conference First Round series at the Xcel Energy Center.
"We've talked a lot about what we do and how we play and that is a consistent thing that happens with our hockey club, and again, it has to be for us to have success", said Minnesota head coach Dean Evason. "We have to play the way we play, and we did tonight."
The victory gives the Wild a 2-1 series lead with Game 4 scheduled for Sunday evening in St. Paul.
Mats Zuccarello scored twice, and John Klingberg picked up two assists. Filip Gustavsson, back in net after Marc-Andre Fleury started Game 2, made 23 saves for Minnesota.
Luke Glendening had Dallas' only goal and Jake Oettinger stopped 20 shots.
"Whether you lose 1-0, 5-1, it's one game", said Stars coach Peter DeBoer. "We're down 2-1. We've got a chance to get a split here and get our home ice back with a big effort next game, so that's what we're looking to do."
Wild take lead in the series after team effort against Stars
Zuccarello put the Wild up 1-0 with 3:15 left in the first period, backhanding a rebound from the top of the crease for his first goal since March 12th.
"Just get the win", he said. "That's the most important thing. We're playing a really good team and we know we have to be at our best to have a chance to beat these guys.
"It was a solid effort all around and everyone chipped in, whether it was offensively or defensively, whatever we needed, we chipped in today."
Marcus Johansson made it 2-0 as he skated around Stars defenseman Colin Miller to the right faceoff circle and potted under Oettinger's arm.
Glendening cut the Minnesota lead in half 11 seconds later as he chipped in a loose puck but Marcus Foligno restored the Wild's two-goal advantage on the power play as he deflected a Gustav Nyqvist shot from the left point.
After no goal was first given, video review found that Foligno's stick was at or below the height of the crossbar when he redirected the puck into the net and the call on the ice was reversed.
"The first period we had a couple of chances in there and I do think they did too, but the second period, you know, they get that one, we got one back and then we take a penalty, they score and we're trying to play catch-up", Dallas forward Jason Robertson said. "That's pretty much how it was."
Zuccarello made it a 4-1 game on a breakaway, taking a long stretch pass from Game 1 hero Hartman from below the goal line and beating Oettinger glove side.
Hartman completed the scoring by grabbing an empty-netter with a 1:50 to play.
"It's a completely new game", Hartman said. "I know they're not thinking about their last win and we're not thinking about the last game either. It's a fresh game in our building.
"I can tell you we're not going to be thinking about this game on Sunday and neither will they. A completely new game. We've got to go out there and give the same effort."