The Dallas Stars will look to play with a sense of calm as they face elimination in Game 6 against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night in St. Paul.
Dallas has dropped back-to-back games in the best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinals series and trails Minnesota 3-2, following Tuesday’s 4-2 loss in Game 5.
“You have to be able to play in these pressure situations,” said Stars coach Glen Gulutzan. “I don’t think it’s anything grit-related. I think that both teams were competing very hard last night (Tuesday), and you just have to actually have a little more of a sense of calm to be able to make a play under pressure.
“… We have to settle in and make some plays with some fluidity.”
Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson each scored a goal and added an assist while Jake Oettinger made 24 saves for the Stars, the regular-season No. 2 seed in the Central Division.
“We just couldn’t create enough, especially 5-on-5,” Heiskanen said. “That was the biggest issue (in Game 5). Just have to fix that and get better next game. We just have to simplify. I think there are times where we’re trying to do too much. Just simplify. Get guys to the net, get pucks to the net, and get a couple of crazy ones.”
Arttu Hyry left Tuesday’s game at 8:02 of the second period with a lower-body injury. Gulutzan said the Stars forward would travel to Minnesota with the team on Wednesday; however, defenseman Nils Lundkvist, who left Game 4 after suffering a facial cut from a skate, is not available for Game 6.
The Wild head home with an opportunity to win its first Western Conference quarterfinal series since 2015, when it dispatched the St. Louis Blues in six games.
“I think when we play a tight, connected, five-man unit, we’re usually at our best,” said Wild coach John Hynes. “I thought we were responsible, strong attention to detail, got some key saves when we needed them. Another game where we can continue to build and get better. You just focus day to day.”
Kirill Kaprizov scored a goal and added two helpers, while Matt Boldy added a goal and an assist for the Wild, who split Games 3 and 4 on home ice, both in overtime.
Mats Zuccarello and Michael McCarron had the other Minnesota goals while Jesper Wallstedt made 20 saves.
Wild forward Yakov Trenin, who returned from an upper-body injury suffered in Game 2, had an assist in 12:04 of ice time.
“We’ll take a lot of information out of this game and work to be better again in Game 6,” Hynes said. “That was our objective when the series started. Take one day at a time, one game at a time, extract the information that’s needed. Prepare ourselves for the next game and focus on that.”
Jonas Brodin left the game at 1:44 of the second period after blocking a Mikko Rantanen shot. After the game, Brodin was seen on crutches with his foot in a medical boot.
Hynes didn’t have a specific update on the Minnesota defenseman on Wednesday, but if Brodin can’t play Game 6, it’s expected that either Daemon Hunt or Jeff Petry will draw into the lineup.
