Tyler Seguin scored two power-play goals and Jake Oettinger made 33 saves in a brilliant show in his home state to help the Dallas Stars bounce back from a lopsided loss and beat the Minnesota Wild 3-2 in Game 4 on Sunday night to even their first-round NHL playoff series.
Evgenii Dadonov gave the Stars a two-score lead early in the third period just 8 seconds after escaping the penalty box, his third goal of the series. John Klingberg scored for the Wild less than three minutes later against his former team right after a goal-line block on the other end.
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Both of Seguin's goals followed questionable penalties on Minnesota's feisty right wing Marcus Foligno, who was called for tripping with 4:49 remaining before Seguin delivered his third goal of the series.
Frederick Gaudreau gave the Wild another opening on his power-play goal with 1:20 left, but Oettinger didn't budge. He finished off another golden playoff performance by getting a glove on Marcus Johansson's close-range slap shot from the right circle with 12 seconds left as the Wild bench winced with disappointment.
The Central Division foes will relocate for Game 5 in Dallas on Tuesday night.
BRUINS PUSH PANTHERS TO THE BRINK WITH GAME 4 VICTORY
The Wild played again without top center Joel Eriksson Ek, their third-leading scorer and truest two-way player, with a lower-body injury that has limited him to just one shift in the series. They sure could've used his stick and strength around the goal to knock in a rebound against Oettinger, the unflappable young goalie who grew up in Lakeville about a half-hour drive from downtown St. Paul.
The Wild created plenty of prime chances with their attack, but their passing game was just a bit off. Foligno was denied twice on one breakaway, the rebound try deflected by Oettinger's pad. Wild star Kirill Kaprizov, who scored in Game 1 but has been hounded and pounded by the Stars all series, had a breakaway shot brushed aside by Oettinger, too.
The 24-year-old Oettinger made a postseason name for himself a year ago with a 64-save effort in the Game 7 overtime loss to Calgary.
Foligno was whistled for interference behind his own net late in the second period, a call that had the crowd and the Wild bench howling. The Stars seized their opening, when Seguin knocked a slow-sliding puck between Filip Gustavsson's pads after an initial shot by Roope Hintz with Jared Spurgeon trying to push him out.
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Gustavsson made 21 saves for the Wild, who beat the Stars 5-1 in Game 3 to regain their leverage after a 7-3 loss in Game 2 with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. The Wild won the opener 2-1 in double overtime.