DALLAS (AP) — It was the longest game in the history of the Wild, and it came against the NHL franchise that preceded them in Minnesota.
That made the result that much sweeter for long-time Twin Cities pro hockey fans.
Ryan Hartman had just circled around the net in the second overtime when he gathered in a loose puck and quickly scored to give the Wild the 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars in their Stanley Cup first-round playoff opener — a four-hour game that began Monday night and dragged into early Tuesday morning.
Hartman lifted the puck over the extended left leg of goalie Jake Oettinger at 1:00 a.m. local time after the teams had grinded their way through 92 minutes and 20 seconds of playoff hockey.
Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson made 51 saves, while Oettinger, who played prep hockey at Lakeville North, stopped 45 shots until letting up the deciding score.
“Their goalie was fantastic, our goalie was fantastic,” Wild coach Dean Evason said. “Some of the saves that both of them made were, it feels like nobody is going to score, right?”
The game-winner came after Stars defenseman Thomas Harley had knocked the puck toward the corner, but Colin Miller was unable to clear it.
The puck instead ricocheted off Sam Steel’s stick and toward Hartman.
“Just a bounce that went their way,” Oettinger said. “We had a couple that didn’t go our way and that’s hockey. ... Tight game and two good teams, and it’s going to be a heck of a series.”
Kirill Kaprizov gave the Wild the early lead with a first-period power play goal, only to have the Stars get consecutive scores in the second period by Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson.
Both of the goals by Dallas also came on the power play.
The Wild got the equalizer from Sam Steel late in the second period, as the teams then went about forty minutes before Hartman's game-winner.
Game two is Wednesday night in Dallas, with the series moving to St. Paul for games three and four on Friday and Sunday.