Before Matt Boldy scored the overtime winner for the Wild on Saturday, he was occupied in a scrum in the corner, fighting for the puck with teammate Joel Eriksson Ek and the Stars’ Wyatt Johnston and Tyler Myers.
After a cross check from Myers, Boldy swept the puck to Jared Spurgeon at the point and headed for the net, whence he deflected the defenseman’s wrist shot past Jake Oettinger for the winning goal with 28.4 seconds left in overtime.
Playing with the NHL’s American stars in the Olympics in February, and in the 4 Nations Cup in 2025, has rubbed off on Boldy, just 25 and under contract through 2029
“These Jack Eichels, Auston Matthews, and these guys that dominate our league, and are so effective, they’re stone cold,” Boldly said. “Nothing gets to them. Frustration is all like what you make it. I think that’s the biggest thing ( learned). So, the more you can kind of stay calm and let your game speak and do what’s best for the team, good things happen.”
The final minute on Saturday was the definitive series of events in what has been a terrific postseason for Boldy, who broke out this season with 42 goals and 85 points and continues. He has three goals, five points and is a plus-6 while expanding the use of his 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame in the playoffs.
“Bolds is, like, 6-4, 6-5 on skates. That’s the type of player you build teams around. He’s that guy,” Foligno said. “He doesn’t pout, he doesn’t whine, he just takes it and goes. … Bolds plays a big-man game, and that’s what his whole career is going to be built around, and there’s nothing better than those big moments.”
While Boldy was racing to the net front, Eriksson Ek was occupying Meyers, who knocked the stick out of his hands with a cross check. With a 3-1 series lead/deficit on the line, it was getting desperate.
“That’s a part of it,” Boldly said. “Getting frustrated and complaining and whining and stuff like that does no good.”
Game 4 between the Wild and Stars was tied 1-1 late in the second period on Saturday at Grand Casino when Jamie Benn gave one of the great performances in the annals of NHL diving.
During a scrum in front of the Wild’s goal, the Stars captain had his stick lifted by defenseman Brock Faber in a savvy move designed to keep Benn from deflecting in the go-ahead goal.
Faber’s stick hit Benn on the arm, but only because Benn, a playoff hockey veteran, grabbed his face and fell to the ice like an extra in “Saving Private Ryan.”
A bewildered Faber was called for high sticking, and the embellishment was poised to go into the file of disappointing Wild playoff left turns when the Stars scored on the ensuing power play to take a 2-1 lead into the third period.
“I didn’t think my stick hit him, but still, I lifted his stick into his face,” Faber said. “I don’t know if that’s … I don’t really know the rule on that. I thought initially that his stick didn’t even hit his face.”
After Marcus Foligno tied the game with 5 minutes, 20 seconds left in regulation, and Matt Boldy won it with a deflection in the final seconds of overtime, it was all rendered moot.
“Just heat of the moment stuff,” Faber said. “And obviously, we want to stay out of the box. I hate being in a box. That means I can’t be on the PK. So, it is what it is. And, you know, just heat of the moment stuff.”
Speaking of the penalty kill, it’s been killing the Wild instead of the Stars.
Dallas has scored 10 goals on goaltender Jesper Wallstedt in this series and eight of them have been with a man advantage. It’s the same method the Stars used to take control of their first-round series against Minnesota in 2023.
Dallas is 8 for 19 on the power play, Minnesota — conspicuously missing distributor Mats Zuccarello (upper body) — is 3 for 19. Matt Duchene, Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson each have two power-play goals this series.
“It’s a different ballgame,” Robertson said when asked if the Stars can translate their man advantage success to even strength. “You’re on the power play, (there is) a lot more time. It’s a completely different thing.”
With the series heading back to Dallas tied 2-2, it appears the team that figures out its scoring issues will advance to the second round. Either the Wild will get its power play figured out, or the Stars will crack Minnesota’s defense 5-on-5.