Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — BREAKING NEWS: 4-18-23.
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The Wolves and Wild each play Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, with the Twin Cities hosting two playoff games on Friday and Sunday.
Wild Eeks Out Dramatic 2OT Win in Game 1
Ryan Hartman atoned for an earlier penalty, scoring to end the longest playoff game in Wild history with 7:40 left in the second overtime as the Wild knocked off the Dallas Stars 3-2 in Game 1. Game 2 is Wednesday at 8:50 p.m. in Dallas.
The game ended at 1 a.m., some 4 hours and 20 minutes after it started. Hartman took the puck after a Stars clear caromed off the boards in the direction of the net and deposited it by Jake Oettinger.
The game had some of everything. It was the best non Game 6 or 7 in Wild playoff history. Hartman, once traded to Dallas then away from Dallas without playing a game, scoring the winner. Matt Dumba becoming public enemy No. 1 in Dallas after knocking Joe Pavelski out of the game. Former Wild letter wearer Ryan Suter with two vicious cross checks at Kirill Kaprizov. Two fantastic goalie efforts - Filip Gustavsson with a franchise playoff record 52 saves. Brock Faber, who 10 days prior was in college, playing with the poise of a 10-year veteran, including tipping a could be game-winning goal for Dallas minutes before Hartman’s heroics.
A few hours prior…
Kiril Kaprizov’s latest master class in hand eye coordination, on the power play, gave the Wild a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes. They were so much the better team in the opening stanza. The Stars had no place to go.
But Hartman, scratched earlier this season for a run of bad penalties, took a bad cross checking penalty and three seconds later - right off the faceoff - the Stars tied things up.
Then Marcus Foligno, also on a down year after overachieving in 2021-22, got whistled for a cheap slashing penalty. It wasn’t the best call, but Foligno had to see that this crew was blowing the whistle for less. Six seconds into that power play, the Stars took the lead on young star Jason Robertson’s goal.
Two power plays, nine total seconds, and a 2-1 lead for Dallas.
Dumba became public enemy No. 1 in the DFW Metroplex when his hit knocked Joe Pavelski out of the game in the second period.
It was a clean hit - by the rules. Shoulder to shoulder isn’t a penalty. Dumba didn’t leave his feet, both players went up in the air by virtue of the force of the hit. Hartman’s stick actually hit Pavelski, whose head then hit the ice. Originally, Dumba was given no penalty. Then, they gave him a major, which was rescinded and he got a minor.
But Sam Steele tied things up late in a 54-minute second period (they’re usually around 30).
Suter, who hung up on Wild GM Billy Guerin when he bought him out two summers ago, made it his personal mission to try to take Kaprizov out of the game. First, he two handed slashed him on a rush, and then he cross checked him from behind out of sight of the referee in front of the net.
It marked just the second double OT game in Wild playoff history.
Wolves Regroup with Two Days Off
The Wolves don’t play Game 2 against the Nuggets until Wednesday, and it may be best they get an extra day to get rid of that taste in their mouth. Or, stench.
No one was very good for the Wolves. But stars Karl Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards weren’t good - KAT was especially bad and I’m more willing to give ANT a youth pass. The Wolves simply don’t have an answer inside against Nikola Jokic. Now, not many teams do. But he toyed with the Wolves Sunday night.
It would seem to take a yeoman’s effort to bring the series back to Target Center tied.
Twins Closing in on Four-Year Extension with Pablo Lopez
It’s a bad day for the “Pohlads won’t spend money on starting pitching” crew. Multiple reports say the Twins are closing in on a four-year, $73.5 million contract extension with ace Pablo Lopez. The righty has a 1.73 ERA and 33 strikeouts through 26 innings this season.
While Twins fans won’t soon forget Luis Arraez, this was a total win-win trade for both teams. And it gives the Twins a nice 1-2 punch with Lopez and Joe Ryan, even if they lose others (Sonny Gray, Tyler Mahle) to free agency this winter (can I say this winter if last winter hasn’t ended yet?)
The Twins play a three-game series starting tonight in Boston. Gray and his 0.53 ERA take the mound against Chris Sale.
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