Game two of the most competitive playoff series of the first round is tonight in Dallas, with the Wild holding the one games to none lead. Game one was a gem, that had everything that a hockey fan wants.

It had intensity, tremendous crowd, star players scoring, controversy, villains established, great goaltending and of course multiple overtimes. Wow, all of that packed into one game that sets the tone for the remainder of this presumambly long series.

These teams have a long history and have developed quite a rivalry within the new Central Division, but the animosity runs deeper than that. Dallas of course, is home to the former Minnesota North Stars franchise which has never sat well with anyone here in The State of Hockey. That animosity is magnified when the stakes ratchet up in a playoff series for sure!

Then we see game one unfold the way it did with the physical play and battles for every inch of ice. The Matt Dumba hit on Joe Pavelski, which unfortunately left the Wisconsin native motionless on the ice, and questionable to return to the series, made #24 public enemy #1 in Dallas.

Ryan Suter who has his own bad blood with the Minnesota Wild, following his buyout by Bill Guerin, in July of 2021. Suter as you may recall, hung up on Guerin when he received that call in absolute disgust. He later signed a contract with the Stars to patrol the blueline in Dallas through the 2024-25 season. Suter plays the game hard and he is as strong as they come, but he does cross the line and typically behind the play. That was evident in game one with his cheap shot cross checks primarily targeted at Kirill Kaprizov.

So targets on each side have been established early in this series. Now how the teams respond and maintain composure is going to dictate where the series goes from here. As tempers flare and the tension mounts, the team that continues to play their game and avoid the temptation to get retribution, will gain the upper hand in the series.

Playoff hockey is intense and the more these teams see of each other on the ice over the next two weeks, the ill will is going to be magnified. What also occurs is a strong familiarity with tendencies of both team and individual players. That too becomes a determining factor as who will ultimately come out of the series to move on.

Both goaltenders were superb in Game 1, and we should expect more of the same in game two from both. That said, when goalies seemingly give very little away, there is a tendency to shy away from the obvious shooting area and look to be more precise with scoring opportunities. That can cause angst with coaching staffs and fans alike and ultimately become a detriment to the outcome of the series.

This Wild team is built far different from the teams that we have seen enter the playoffs in past years. Not at all saying the Wild will win the series, by any means, however they are built far better to perform in a seven game series.

Last season the Wild entered the playoffs with the most productive regular season offense in franchise history. They also spent tremendous energy dow the stretch to achieve home ice advantage in the first round. That was expected to be a boost when the playoffs began. It was a step in the right direction for sure but the results were more of the same, an early exit.

This season the goal all along was to shape the current roster to get back to the playoffs, and then to have a group that could stand up to their opponent regardless of who that may be. Taking the lessons learned from years past and build the foundation to be a resilient team that can play the game in the playoffs with a series mentality, not their old game 83 continuation of the regular season mode from season past.

Game one saw the Wild play playoff hockey which comes thru experience of their own for sure, but one cannot overlook the additions of Ryan Reaves, Gustav Nyquist, Oscar Sunqvist, and John Klingberg, all of whom bring a wealth of playoff experience. Each of these players also fill more specific roles for the Wild and were carefully selected to fit into the tight knit culture the Wild have built.

That culture is what truly defines this Wild team. Changing the culture of a team that had relative long term success, despite no sustained playoff runs, is no easy task. There are veteran players that need to be moved out in order to turn over the room. That began with Mikko Koivu not being offered a new contract following the 2020 season and culminated with the dual buy-outs of Suter and Zach Parise.

Now two seasons later the revamped Wild are facing one of those old guard players, Ryan Suter, head on. Suter is not the player he once was when he logged nearly half the game minutes here in Minnesota. He is still serviceable but the more his minutes add up the less effective he bcomes. That was eveident in his final seasons with the Wild and something to watch for as this series plays out.

The Stars are going to come out guns a blazing tonight as they do not want to go to down two games with the series shifting to Minnesota for games three and four. They also feel that they deserved to win game one as they controlled much of the play as game one progressed through the third period and the overtimes.

How each team responds to a grueling game one that lasted well into the early morning hours on Monday, remains to be seen. We should expect a continuation of game one with the established physical nature of the game, however it may be a bit more timely than seemingly every shift. The fatigue factor in game one clearly showed the Wild as the team affected most as the game went on.

Game two, who is the hero going to be tonight?

It's always Hockey Day in The State of Hockey!

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