Wallstedt Stands Strong for Wild Despite Losses, Dallas Stars Win in Overtime Thriller vs Minnesota Wild

The Dallas Stars secured a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild in double overtime of Game 3 of the NHL Western Conference first-round playoff series, taking a 2-1 lead in the matchup.

Wyatt Johnston scored the winning goal at 12:10 of the second overtime period on a power-play deflection, ending the marathon contest early Thursday morning, April 23, 2026, in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The Stars overcame a 2-0 deficit after the Wild rallied to take a 3-2 lead in the third period on goals by Marcus Johansson, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Michael McCarron. Dallas then tied the game at 3-3 when Matt Duchene scored a power-play goal with less than two minutes remaining in regulation.

In overtime, the Wild had multiple power-play opportunities to end the game but failed to capitalize, including two chances in the first overtime and one that carried into the second overtime period. Kirill Kaprizov hit the post during one of those opportunities, coming closest to scoring for Minnesota.

Dallas earned a second consecutive power play in double overtime after Wild rookie defenseman Danila Yurov accidentally shot the puck high into the stands, setting up Johnston’s game-winning deflection.

Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger made 34 saves in the victory, while Wild rookie goaltender Jesper Wallstedt stopped 31 shots in his second consecutive playoff start after earning his NHL postseason debut win in Game 1.

Wallstedt, who was named the first star of the game in Game 1 for his 27-save effort in a 6-1 Wild win, has remained a bright spot for Minnesota despite the team dropping Games 2 and 3 of the series.

The Stars now hold a 2-1 series lead heading into Game 4, scheduled for Saturday afternoon in St. Paul, as both teams continue their battle for advancement in the Stanley Cup playoffs.