Wild light up Stars for six goals to take a 1-0 series lead in Stanley Cup Playoffs

Minnesota Wild players celebrate goal in Game 1 against Dallas Stars
Minnesota Wild players celebrate goal in Game 1 against Dallas Stars Stacy Revere / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA

Matthew Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek each scored two goals in the Minnesota Wild's 6-1 statement win over the Dallas Stars on Saturday to take a 1-0 series lead as the Stanley Cup Playoffs are underway.

The Wild put up four goals in the first two periods on a whopping 26 shots that put them to an unreachable lead. Goalie Jesper Wallstedt, who made his first career playoff appearance, recorded 28 saves.

Eriksson Ek got things started with a power play goal for the game's lone goal in the first period that put the Wild up 1-0, which was assisted by Boldy.

After the Wild's Marcus Johansson got a two-minute minor for slashing, the Stars failed to take advantage to tie it up at one apiece. 

Enter the second period, it only took 56 seconds for Minnesota's Kirill Kaprizov to snipe one by Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger to put his squad up 2-0.

Less than three minutes later, the Wild would continue to pour it on.

Ryan Hartman would put the Wild up 3-0 less than two minutes after Kaprizov's goal before Boldy would score his first of two, making it 4-0

As some Dallas fans began to leave their seats at this point, despite being in the second period, Dallas finally got on the board themselves. 

After failing on their first power play, Dallas capitalized with a Jason Robertson goal to cut the lead to 4-1.

But that's all the Stars could muster up en route to a beatdown. 

Eriksson Ek would make it 5-1 with another power play goal of his own, followed by Boldy's second of the game in an empty-netter as the final nail in the coffin. 

Boldy led all players with a stellar 9.1 player rating for the game.

Game 2 between the Stars and Wild will take place on Monday, April 20th at 9:30 p.m.

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