DALLAS \u2014 First of all, this is already one heck of a series.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the kind of knock-down, drag-out, fight-for-every-freaking-inch series that everyone expected when two of the league\u2019s best teams and division rivals meet in the first round. There are plenty of stars, and there may also be a few scars by the end.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s play seven. Or nine (if they could).<\/p>\n
The question is, would there be any players left?<\/p>\n
Not with plays like Marcus Foligno\u2019s WWE-style headlock\/takedown of Thomas Harley late in the second period of Monday\u2019s 4-2 Dallas Stars win over the Minnesota Wild<\/a>. Harley was interfering with Foligno as they skated by the Wild bench, the Minnesota veteran winger locked him up, and by Foligno\u2019s account, the stanchion got in the way.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think I\u2019m going to think about smashing a guy\u2019s head in that quick of time? No,\u201d Foligno said. \u201cIt\u2019s unfortunate that there\u2019s glass in the way.\u201d<\/p>\n Foligno got a double minor for roughing, Harley two minutes for interference. That\u2019s the kind of trade the Stars are happy to make after getting even in this first-round series, 1-1, by baiting the Wild to get even with them in pre- and post-whistle shenanigans.<\/p>\n Marcus Foligno\u2019s penalty didn\u2019t lead to a Stars power-play goal, but his brother Nick\u2019s careless elbowing penalty earlier did.<\/p>\n That Dallas evened the series Monday is hardly a surprise. The Wild expected a pushback from a group that\u2019s been to three straight Western Conference finals after dominating them in a 6-1 win in Game 1<\/a>.<\/p>\n But the Wild, who have had a lead in six straight playoff series, are in danger of letting another one slip away if they lets their emotions get the best of them.<\/p>\n \u201cThey want it. I mean, they\u2019re looking to play five-on-four,\u201d Marcus Foligno said. \u201cI mean, that\u2019s their game. They can\u2019t hang with us five-on-five. So just same thing as before, we\u2019ve got to just be smarter, and myself included. But it\u2019s a heated game out there. You\u2019re gonna have emotional swings and learn from it. And we\u2019ve got a split series.\u201d<\/p>\n The Wild feel they\u2019re a better and, as Brock Faber said, \u201ctougher\u201d team. But they don\u2019t have to prove that to win the series. This is the best team in franchise history, loaded with stars like Matt Boldy, Kirill Kaprizov, Quinn Hughes and Faber, who has been sensational. They\u2019re deep. And they have the goalie, with rookie Jesper Wallstedt so far mostly unflappable in his first two postseason starts. And it\u2019s shown in five-on-five play, when even in Monday\u2019s loss, they outchanced Dallas.<\/p>\n The Wild threatened to rally back from a 3-1 deficit, too, before a too-many-men penalty and an empty-netter sealed this one.<\/p>\n Jake Oettinger was a difference-maker after a shaky Game 1, and the Lakeville, Minn., native is known for his stellar play at his hometown Grand Casino Arena. The Wild are now without Mats Zuccarello and Yakov Trenin, both dealing with upper-body injuries. Their status is up in the air for Wednesday\u2019s Game 3.<\/p>\n So the last thing the Wild can do is give Wyatt Johnston, Jason Robertson and company so many freebies, so many power plays.<\/p>\n \u201cThe scrums and stuff, that just drains the life out of the bench and positivity,\u201d Faber said. \u201cThere\u2019s a time and a place for it. I think they had the upper hand in that tonight.<\/p>\n \u201cBut still, we had our chances to win.\u201d<\/p>\n