The Dallas Stars’ Finnish season is over.
The season of the NHL’s “Finnish team” Dallas Stars is over.
Dallas lost to the Minnesota Wild 4-2 the night before Friday, and the Wild advance to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 4-2 win.
The Stars started the season as one of the biggest championship favorites.
The Minnesota Wild won the series for the first time in 11 years.
The hero of the match was the superstar defender of the home team Minnesota Quinn Hugheswho moved to the Wild mid-season in a big trade. Hughes was involved in every goal of his team (2+1).
Hughes scored the opening goal of the match in 6:23, and the home crowd erupted into screams.
Dallas took over in the second inning by Wyatt Johnston and Mavrik Bourguen with goals already to a 2–1 lead, but with the help of Hughes and his partners, Wild got even closer and passed.
Mikko Rantanen helped Dallas to a 1–1 tie with the upper hand.
The Finnish star was involved in many things in the match.
He deflected the puck near the wing in the first half of the third period, Norwegian hero Mats Zuccarello with and fell, losing his club in the situation. His bat seemed to get stuck in Zuccarello’s grip.
While coming off the ice, Rantanen hit the Russian star Kirill Kaprizov with a cross stick to the head. Rantanen was punished for his trick.
Earlier in the match, he had to leave the game after hitting his head on the ice Marcus Folignon after the tackle.
Foligno shot the puck towards the goal, and stayed behind to watch his own shot.
Rantanen and Foligno, who came into the situation, collided, and Rantanen fell down, hitting his head on the ice.
A reporter following Dallas of Robert Tiffin according to Rantanen went to the locker room after the match.
In the fateful match, Dallas had success behind the number one stars and a goal with a draw, but it was no longer enough.
Vladimir Tarasenko tied the game at 2–2 in 37:02, and Hughes scored the winning goal at 3–2 midway through the final set.
Matt Boldy sealed the game with two empty-netters. Captain in the 4–2 goal Jamie Benn lost the puck, and Boldy stomped to put the puck into the void.
In the second round of the playoffs, Minnesota will face the Colorado Avalanche, who beat the Los Angeles Kings 4–0 in the opening round.
The season of Mikko Rantanen and his partners ended in disappointment. PDO
