Sunday, April 24, 2016

Central Division Playoffs: 1) Dallas Stars VS. 4) Minnesota Wild

As usual, this post covers the entire series in the first round of this year's NHL playoffs.

Game 1: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas. In goal: Devan Dubnyk for Minnesota and Kari Lehtonen for Dallas. Dallas got going in the second period with a Radek Faksa goal, coming off of Ales Hemsky. The Stars added on with a Jason Spezza goal, helped along by Patrick Eaves and Jamie Benn. Dallas extended the lead in the third period as Eaves scored a power play goal, powered by Spezza and Benn. The Stars iced it at 4-0 with a Benn empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Spezza, Eaves, and Lehtonen (22 save shutout), while Benn gets an honorable mention. The Stars take a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas. In goal: Devan Dubnyk for Minnesota and Kari Lehtonen for Dallas. Dallas dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Antoine Roussel goal, via Ales Hemsky. The Stars added on with a Jamie Benn goal in the third period, his second of the postseason, coming off of Cody Eakin. Minnesota got on the board with a Marco Scandella power play goal, powered by Matt Dumba and Jason Zucker. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Benn, Roussel, and Lehtonen (24 for 25 in saves). The Stars will head back to where they came from with a 2-0 series lead in hand.

Game 3: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minnesota. In goal: Kari Lehtonen for Dallas and Devan Dubnyk for Minnesota. Dallas led off in the first period with a Patrick Sharp goal, assisted by Alex Goligoski. The Stars added on with a Sharp goal, his second of the game, via Cody Eakin and Jamie Benn. Minnesota got on the board with a Chris Porter goal, helped along by Erik Haula and Jonas Brodin. The Wild tied it in the second period with a Haula goal, fueled by Jason Pominville and Nino Niederreiter. Minnesota took the lead with a Pominville goal, coming off of Niederreiter and Matt Dumba. The Wild extended the lead as Mikko Koivu scored a power play goal, powered by Jared Spurgeon and Charlie Coyle. Dallas pulled back with a Colton Sceviour goal, guided in by Jason Demers and Vernon Fiddler. Minnesota iced it at 5-3 with a Pominville empty net goal, his second of the game, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Pominville, Sharp, and Haula, while Niederreiter gets an honorable mention. The series is now 2-1 for the Stars.

Game 4: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minnesota. In goal: Antti Niemi for Dallas and Devan Dubnyk for Minnesota. Minnesota drew first blood in the second period with a Jason Pominville goal, his third of the postseason, via Nino Niederreiter and Erik Haula. Dallas tied it on an Ales Hemsky power play goal, powered by Jason Demers and Kris Russell. The Wild took the lead back with a Charlie Coyle goal, fueled by Jason Zucker. The Stars tied it again with a Patrick Eaves power play goal, his second of the playoffs, made possible by Russell and Jason Spezza. Dallas took the lead on a Spezza goal, his second of the postseason, helped along by Demers and Jamie Benn. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Spezza, Demers, and Russell. The Stars head home carrying a 3-1 lead, giving them a chance to advance.

Game 5: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas. In goal: Devan Dubnyk for Minnesota and Antti Niemi for Dallas. Minnesota began in the first period with a Mikael Granlund goal, passed from David Jones. The Wild added on with a Jordan Schroeder goal, via Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon. Dallas got on the board with a Johnny Oduya goal, made possible by Radek Faksa and John Klingberg. The Stars tied it in the third period with a Jamie Benn goal, his third of the postseason, assisted by Klingberg. Minnesota retook the lead as Nino Niederreiter scored, thanks to Spurgeon and Jason Pominville. Dallas tied it again on a Jason Spezza goal, his third of the playoffs, guided in by Mattias Janmark and Patrick Eaves. The Stars pulled ahead with an Alex Goligoski goal, fueled by Cody Eakin. The Wild tied it on a Mikko Koivu goal, his second of the postseason, with assists provided by Granlund and Pominville. Minnesota won 5-4 with a Koivu goal in overtime, his second of the game and third of the playoffs, helped along by Suter and Nate Prosser. The three stars went to Koivu, Granlund, and Suter, while Pominville, Spurgeon, and Klingberg get the honorable mentions. The action shifts north again with the Stars still holding a 3-2 series lead. 

Game 6: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minnesota. In goal: Kari Lehtonen for Dallas and Devan Dubnyk for Minnesota. Dallas struck first in the first period with a John Klingberg power play goal, powered by Jason Spezza and Jamie Benn. The Stars added on with a Spezza goal, his fourth of the postseason, courtesy of Mattias Janmark and Patrick Eaves. Dallas extended the lead as Patrick Sharp scored his third of the playoffs, thanks to Cody Eakin and Benn. The Stars padded the lead with a Benn goal, his fourth of the postseason, with assists provided by Sharp and Spezza in the second period. Minnesota got on the board in the third period with a Jared Spurgeon power play goal, powered by Mikael Granlund and Mikko Koivu. The Wild got closer with a Jonas Brodin goal, passed from Erik Haula and Nino Niederreiter. Minnesota edged closer as Spurgeon scored again, his second goal of the game, with the help of Koivu and Ryan Suter on the power play. Dallas shot back on an Alex Goligoski goal, his second of the playoffs, helped along by Janmark and Spezza, the latter getting a sock trick. The Wild pulled back with a Jason Pominville goal, his fourth of the postseason, with helpers from Brodin and Niederreiter. They couldn't tie it, dropping the 5-4 result. The three stars went to Spezza, Benn, and Sharp, while Spurgeon, Janmark, Brodin, Koivu, and Niederreiter get the honorable mentions. The Stars win the series 4-2, and will face either the Blackhawks or the Blues. 

No comments :

Post a Comment