Though every time we say “Ever” something always tops it.
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The Dallas Stars went up two games to none in their series against the Minnesota Wild with a 2-1 victory at American Airlines Center Saturday night thanks to a weird bounce, their captain, and the goaltending they needed in some tense final moments.
The Wild had already announced they would be without forwards Zach Parise and Thomas Vanek, who didn’t travel to Dallas for Games 1 and 2.
Minnesota got a power play when Patrick Eaves was called for cross checking with 4.4 seconds remaining, but Dallas won the faceoff and cleared the puck.
The Wild squeaked into the playoffs as the second wild card team in the Western Conference and backed their way in with a 5-5 mark in their last 10 contests and finished the year with a modest 38-33-11 mark.
The league released a statement, stating that the puck “crossed the goal line in a legal fashion prior to the net being displaced”, citing rule 78.4 that says goal frame is still in its proper place while at least some portion of the flexible pegs are still inside both of the posts.
Scandella was trying to clear the puck behind the net when it instead ricocheted off the skate of Hemsky toward Roussel and then popped up off his skate and over the net into the back of Dubnyk’s head.
Needless to say the Stars were ecstatic… Benn did the rest, finishing with a backhander slid under Dubnyk to give the Stars a 2-0 lead.
Lehtonen made one of his better saves of the night 1:02 into the game when he denied a wrist shot by Nino Niederreiter with a pad save on a breakaway.
Marco Scandella scored for the lone Wild goal in the third period ending Minnesota’s scoring drought that was over five periods long.
Who are you? Where am I? While he was behind the net, the puck hit his skate and deflected into the air. “Now we’ve got to find a way to get our fluke goal”.
Stars coach Lindy Ruff said he’s seen some insane goals, but never one that went to review when he didn’t know whether it went in or if the net was off. It was an expected result considering the severity of his injury, and a reminder that he’ll need another game or two to work himself closer to playoff pace. Dubnyk had a sprawling save, securing the puck when on his stomach in front of the net, after Benn’s slap shot off a rebound with about 13 minutes left in the game.
Jamie Benn’s goal early in the third turned out to be the victor, and although the Stars recognize the luck it took to score their first goal Saturday, they’re giving plenty of credit to Kari Lehtonen for having the edge in the series.
“We’ve got to stop playing with frustration and start using our emotion in the right way, because frustration is a waste of emotion”, Kings left wing Milan Lucic said.
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Notes: Minnesota was 1 for 5 on the power play. He was on the ice for 15:40 and had one shot….
