The Dallas Stars beat the Minnesota Wild 4-2 in a rough-and-tough game and evened up the series. The later-than-usual puck drop had the game ending much later in the evening, making postgame interviews almost too much to ask fans to stay up for. However, in his postgame interview, Stars center Colin Blackwell hits on why the Stars were successful.
First, it was Blackwell’s hit mid-ice that changed the momentum of the Stars. His most memorable contribution was his hit on Minnesota’s Yakov Trenin. During the first period, Blackwell delivered a hit that laid Trenin on the ice and caused him to leave the game.
It was one of those hits where just by listening to the crowd’s response, you know someone was hit and hit hard. Blackwell didn’t serve any time in the box. No doubt, this will become a memorable moment in this series. It also demonstrates the greater physical play the Stars played last night. Let’s hope the Stars and Blackwell continue to look for opportune moments. When asked about it in his post came interview, Blackwell responded,
"“It’s fun. I mean, I enjoy being physical…I get hit all the time… anytime you get a chance to lay a hit…when the opportunity presents itself take advantage of it.” "Stars forward Colin Blackwell
Handing out a big hit as Blackwell did can put some life back into a team, but he wasn’t the only star of the show. The Stars were connecting as a team. Blackwell‘s best comment in the interview was: "When we [the Stars] are connected, good things happen.”
In Game 2 of the series, we saw other amazing performances by goalie Jake Oettinger and his glove. He ended the game with 28 saves and three different scorers, including Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnson, and Matt Duchene. The Stars did a better job with special teams and played fast, physical hockey. Connecting on the ice as a team made a huge difference in the Stars’ performance and was one of the reasons why they were able to take home a win Monday night.
This series has been described as a tough, hard-fought battle and one of the hardest matchups of round one. Yet we see the difference that connection makes. Blackwell's post-game comments seem to carry a valuable lesson and takeaway that extends beyond hockey. Good things happen when we connect with others.
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