It’s a pivotal Game 4 tonight for Minnesota as it looks to even the series with Dallas, 2-2, at 4:30 p.m. on TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, FanDuel Sports Network and KFAN FM 100.3. Game 3 saw Dallas outlast Minnesota in a double-overtime thriller on a power play goal scored via a tip-in by Wyatt Johnston in front of the net. Per Stats Perform, the last time Minnesota won a series in which it trailed 2-1 was in 2014 against Colorado. Minnesota won Game 4 and went on to win the series in seven games.
Special teams was the topic of conversation following Minnesota’s Game 3 loss. The Wild had seven power play opportunities in that game and only capitalized on one of them—Minnesota’s seven power plays tied its postseason franchise record for the most in a single game (three other occurrences). On the other side, Dallas scored three power play goals on eight chances—the second-most Minnesota has allowed in a postseason game in team history. The Stars have scored at least one power play goal in all three games of this series (6-18, 33.3%), so staying out of the box will be a key factor for Minnesota tonight.
The absence of forward Mats Zuccarello has been glaring, especially on the power play. In Game 1, Minnesota went 2-4 on its power play opportunities and has gone 1-11 without Zuccarello in the lineup in Games 2 and 3. Zuccarello remains a gametime decision for tonight’s contest according to Head Coach John Hynes, who has already ruled out Yakov Trenin for tonight.
Injuries aside, the Wild will need its key players to step up today. Kirill Kaprizov, who was held off the score sheet in Game 3 and hasn’t scored since Game 1, is the guy Minnesota needs to get rolling—and he knows it.
“My play has been okay, but I need to score some goals,” said Kaprizov after Minnesota’s practice on Friday afternoon.
He comes into tonight’s contest with four points (1-3=4) and a plus-5 rating in the first three games—and he just missed a goal in Game 3, clanging one off the post. Minnesota, who spent the first 15 minutes of Friday’s practice working on its power play, will be leaning heavily on Kaprizov to capitalize on those opportunities today. He finished the regular season T-3rd in the NHL with 19 power play goals.
