Game 5 was a must-win game for the Dallas Stars, and they did just that by defeating the Minnesota Wild by a 4-0 final score. After Marcus Foligno received a five-minute major for kneeing early in the first period, Tyler Seguin scored just eight seconds into the powerplay. On a later powerplay in the same period, star winger Jason Robertson made it 2-0 with a sweet wrist shot. Mason Marchment made it 3-0 in the second period after potting Seguin’s rebound in. The Stars would then get an empty-net goal from Ty Dellandrea to secure the win.
Overall, it was a big game from the Stars, so let’s discuss three specific takeaways from the contest.
Power Play Stays Hot
Foligno’s five-minute major gave the Stars a wonderful opportunity that they took advantage of. As noted above, Seguin scored only eight seconds into the power play. Although that ended up being the lone goal from that specific power play, it was still a big one and proved to be the game winner. Seguin specifically has been dominant on the power play this series, as this was his fourth power-play goal of the postseason. In five playoff games this year, he now has four goals and an assist.
However, the Stars’ power play success did not stop there, as Robertson’s goal also came from the power play. The Stars had complete puck control leading up to this goal, and it showed just how well their power play is working right now. Both Seguin and Robertson’s power-play goals ended up being immensely important to the game’s outcome, and they will now be aiming to carry that success over to Game 6.
Roope Hintz Continues to Stars’ Biggest Star
Roope Hintz may not have scored a goal in Game 5, but he made a massive impact. The 26-year-old recorded three key assists in the game and only built on his torrid start to the playoffs because of it. After this contest, he now has four goals and 11 points, which is a new Stars single-series record, in just five games. With that, this was the third game of the series where he had at least three points.
Related: Wild Get Stumped by Jake Oettinger in Game 4
There is no question that the Stars and Wild are very close in skill, so Dallas will need Hintz to continue his dominant play if they hope to successfully win the series. He has been their biggest star, and it will be intriguing to see what he does for an encore in Game 6.
Jake Oettinger’s Outstanding Start
Although players like Hintz, Seguin, and Robertson played a major role in the team’s offense in Game 5, Jake Oettinger’s outstanding play in the net cannot be ignored. The Minnesota native put together a 27-save shutout and made a series of outstanding stops that helped the Stars take Game 5. This performance certainly helped his overall statistics in the playoffs as well, as he now has a 3-2-0 record, 2.19 goals-against average (GAA), and .925 save percentage (SV%).
Oettinger is one of the primary x-factors for the Stars as they try to get out of the first round victorious. So far, the 2017 first-round pick has been excellent, and this latest showing only displays that further. It will now be interesting to see how he responds to this performance for Game 6 back in his home state.
Looking Ahead for the Stars
The Stars will face the Wild for Game 6 on Friday (April 28). The Stars did themselves a major favor by winning Game 5, as they now have two chances to eliminate the Wild. If Dallas ends up losing their next contest, Game 7 will be held on Sunday (April 30). We will need to wait and see if the Stars can carry their momentum over to Game 6 and move on to the second round from here.
