The Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars are set to face off in a crucial Game 5 on Apr. 28, with the series tied at two games each. The game will take place in Dallas at 7:00 p.m., airing on ESPN2, FanDuel Sports Network, and KFAN FM 100.3.
The matchup is significant as both teams look to gain an advantage in the series. Minnesota evened the score with a 3-2 overtime win on Saturday night, highlighted by Matt Boldy’s game-winning goal after tipping in a shot from Jared Spurgeon. This victory marked Minnesota’s fifth overtime playoff win at home in franchise history and its first since Game 3 of the First Round in 2013.
Minnesota has outscored Dallas by a margin of 14-11 so far, with most goals coming during five-on-five play. However, their power play has struggled throughout the series, converting only three times out of nineteen opportunities and going scoreless during four chances last Saturday. Mats Zuccarello is expected to return for tonight’s game after missing three matches; he previously contributed three assists and helped Minnesota achieve two power play goals in Game 1.
Dallas’s power play has been effective against Minnesota, scoring at least once per game over four games and achieving an overall success rate of over forty percent for the series. Despite this strength, Dallas has not managed an even-strength goal since early in Game 3—spanning nearly one hundred fifty-eight minutes of gameplay.
Historically, Minnesota holds a five-and-ten record in previous Game Fives but all victories have come away from home ice. Dallas is thirty-one-and-thirty-two all-time but boasts an eighteen-and-eight record when playing at home for Game Five matchups.