Dallas looks to send the Minnesota Wild home on the brink of elimination tonight

After losing Game 4 up in Minnesota this past weekend, I thought the Stars would be a little disjointed coming into Game 5 tonight. However, based on how some players sounded during yesterday's post-practice interviews, the Stars know what they did wrong and want to flip the script tonight at the American Airlines Center. That's a good sign for the Stars, because losing in overtime in the postseason often gets to this team. All that playoff experience on bouncing back will be on display tonight.

Expect a lot of the Stars to feed off the crowd's energy at the AAC and come out of the gate with a strong start. That's exactly what Dallas needs to do to send the Wild back home on the brink of elimination tonight. Mikko Rantanen really needs to show up for the Stars this evening because he's been kind of in the shadows for most of this series. The Wild are in trouble if his killer mentality shows up. Here are the four keys to Game 5 at the American Airlines Center tonight.

Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild Preview: 4. Score even-strength goals

One thing the Stars have lacked in this series is scoring even-strength goals. Even though the Stars have scored some at even strength in this series, it's not enough to worry. Dallas can't rely on the refs to give them power plays tonight to fuel the offense. Mikko Rantanen needs to come out of the shadows and unleash chaos on the ice to give Dallas the series lead back. Don't rely on all the power play chances tonight and end the game by beating the Marcus Foligno allegations.

Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild Preview: 3. Don't get rattled

The one thing I'm concerned about is the Stars getting rattled by the Wild if they open the scoring tonight. I've seen games throughout my years writing for Blackout Dallas in which the Stars lay down after giving up the first goal. Tonight is not the night to do that with the series lead up for grabs. If the Wild take the early lead, punch them right back in the mouth. I don't want to see anyone on the Stars' team look like Quinn Hughes staring into the abyss tonight.

Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild Preview: 2. Hit somebody with a Wild jersey on

I want to see the Stars unleash their physical side, making it tough for the Wild to shoot the puck in the Stars' zone tonight. The Stars can't allow the Wild to get clean shots on the net. They need to disrupt the puck's flow and send it flying down the ice towards Jesper Wallstedt. Dallas has to control the flow around Oettinger if they want to win tonight. While scoring 5-on-5 goals tonight is one of the keys to the game, this one is bigger, considering the Wild's momentum after tying the series.

Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild Preview: 1. Don't let up in the third period

One thing that really irked me about how the Stars played in Game 4 in Minnesota was that they eased off the gas pedal and lost that game in the final frame. Dallas had control of the game and fumbled it. That's something they can't afford tonight, because whoever wins tonight's game will finish it off in Minnesota later this week. Let's be the team on the winning side of things tonight. Dallas can't afford to play with their food tonight, chow them down, and let's have some momentum for Game 6.

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