Stars at Wild
Having withstood a potential knockout blow in their first game on their home ice, the Minnesota Wild used a stirring comeback to climb back into their Western Conference first-round series against the Dallas Stars. Buoyed by an offensive eruption, the Wild look to knot the series when they host Dallas in Wednesday's Game 4.
Minnesota appeared on the verge of a quick ouster after falling behind by a pair of goals in the first 4:10 of Game 3, particularly since it scored a combined one goal in a pair of losses at Dallas. “We threw the kitchen sink at them,” forward Erik Haula said after the Wild responded with four unanswered goals en route to a 5-3 victory on Monday night. The top-seeded Stars wilted after their fast start and managed only 17 shots on goal. "That might have been our worst game of the year," Dallas coach Lindy Ruff said after his team lost for only the third time in 14 contests.
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, Sportsnet 360, TVAS 3, FSN Southwest (Dallas), FSN North/Wisconsin (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE STARS: Patrick Sharp, who won three Stanley Cups in the previous six seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, scored twice Monday to stake Dallas to the early lead but called it "an opportunity lost" following Tuesday's practice session. Stars captain Jamie Benn sat out practice for what Ruff termed a maintenance day while defenseman Kris Russell returned to practice after missing Game 3 due to illness, but it remains uncertain if he will be back in the lineup. Although Kari Lehtonen has started the first three games in net, there remains the possibility of Ruff turning to Antti Niemi, who matched Lehtonen with 25 wins.
ABOUT THE WILD: Minnesota coach John Torchetti challenged some of his veteran players to step up their games and he got the desired response as captain Mikko Koivu scored for only the third time in 31 postseason games and Jason Pominville supplied a pair of tallies and an assist. “We could’ve easily stepped back and folded and not responded,” said Pominville, who netted the go-ahead tally before sealing the victory with an empty-net goal. “But we kept pushing and wanted more.” Forward Thomas Vanek participated in Tuesday's optional skate but will remain sidelined along with leading goal scorer Zach Parise.
OVERTIME
1. Benn has at least one point in 11 straight games versus Minnesota.
2. Pominville's two tallies on Monday snapped a 13-game goalless drought.
3. Dallas is 1-for-13 on the power play in the series.