Apr 6, 2025; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild center Marco Rossi (23) is congratulated by teammates after scoring the game winning goal in overtime agains the Dallas Stars at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images. [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/9ab00a19-687f-4f85-a3d1-93f2be02677f.jpeg] Apr 6, 2025; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild center Marco Rossi (23) is congratulated by teammates after scoring the game winning goal in overtime agains the Dallas Stars at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images. ST. PAUL - The Minnesota Wild (42-29-7) entered Sunday's game against the Dallas Stars (50-22-5), just 1-4-2 in its last seven games. They were coming off a road trip that resulted in three consecutive losses and they were playing one of the best teams in the league. It didn't seem like Sunday's game would go their way. Jake Middleton Injury Update. Down 1-0 five minutes into the game seemed like the losing streak was going to continue. But, Matt Boldy was able to get the Wild on the board in the third period after he swatted at a loose puck in the slot. [https://x.com/SpokedZ/status/1908991065010720818] “Huge. Yeah, huge. You mix up a little bit of lines. He was out there with Vinnie and Hartzy, had a great shift, and he just seemed so tenacious, on the puck the whole shift," Marcus Foligno said on how big Boldy's goal was. "It was a great play to get the momentum back and the energy in the building. Then we went right back at them. He made a great play at the blue line again. Marco had a great pass, and Bolds was definitely a difference maker tonight.” Foligno scored just 2:08 later to give the Wild their first lead of the game but Dallas responded with seven minutes left in the third period after scoring a bit of a fluke goal. [https://x.com/f1kkbmi/status/1908996369001459931] Thomas Harley held the zone, after the Wild killed off a huge penalty, and fired one towards the net. After a great penalty killing shift, Zach Bogosian skated around the net and to the slot. Harley's shot hit off Bogosian and found its way into the net. "When you're dialed in and you're playing well, stuff like that happens. It stinks," Boldy said on Harley's goal. "Even their first goal, I don't think you can really point the finger at anyone. It's a great shot by him, but it's kind of one of those fluky ones. And you know, you just stay with it, you keep working. Bogo just comes around the net and it hits him perfectly and goes back bar. It is what it is. So, for us to kind of just go back to work and find a way was great." But just like that the Wild and the Stars were tied at 2-2 with seven minutes left. This is the type of stuff that would maybe sink the team but the Wild did not let the fluke goal get to them. “Those are bounces we gotta live through those. We gotta fight through those," Foligno said. "Those are going to happen in this game and definitely in the playoffs and the way you react to them is what makes your group special. We just suck that one up and we could have gotten down but kill off another penalty kill and went right back at it.” With under three minutes left, Marcus Johansson tripped Jamie Benn at center ice and sent the Stars to the power play for the fifth time. The Wild were able to kill it off again and take control of the momentum. “Yeah, we’re really locked in. I don’t even know how many shots they had on those first three PKs. You know, the PK guys stepped up when they needed to," Filip Gustavsson said after the game. "Three minutes on the clock is not an easy task to do. We needed to have a kill, and everyone did it.” Jason Robertson, who got the game's first goal [https://x.com/DLLS_Stars/status/1908964597131850213] moments after drawing a penalty on Boldy in the first eight seconds of the game, took a tripping penalty. This sent the Wild to a 4-on-3 power play in overtime. The Wild went with Johansson, Boldy, Mats Zuccarello, and Marco Rossi to start the overtime and 45 seconds later, Rossi scored. Rossi was left alone on the back door and Zuccarello found him after a great passing play by Boldy. “I just rewatched it again. That was an unbelievable play by Zuc," Wild head coach John Hynes said. "That’s what makes him special. He knows what he’s going to do with the puck before he gets it, and he has the mind to see the play and the talent to execute it. That was a big-time play.” It was a perfect tic-tac-toe goal by the three of them and an unreal pass by Zuccarello. It was Rossi's third career overtime-winner. "I think it was an unbelievable play by Zuccy," Boldy said. "Great battle on the zone entry. They played that about as good as they possibly could. The best I've ever seen any 4-on-3 play it. Great battle won there and then to get set up. You give the puck to the best playmaker on the team and he makes no mistake." Nonetheless, it was a great response from the Wild after a tough road trip. With the win the Wild now put themselves six points ahead of the Calgary Flames for the second wild card spot with four games left. "Yeah, I thought we were great tonight. No passengers. Everyone was ready to go and that's the response you need after the week like we had," Boldy said. I think that's more of the team that we're used to and expect from each other. So, for us to go out there and play that way after kind of the struggles we've been going through, I think speaks a lot to a group."
