NHL Playoffs Western Conference roundup: Physicality reigns king in OT thrillers

The late games in the NHL playoffs certainly did not disappoint, with both going past regulation.

Game 1 of the NHL playoffs did not disappoint

Minnesota Wild 3, Dallas Stars 2 (2OT)

The Stars and Wild took a full 20 minutes to feel each other out. But once they did, this NHL playoff game was pure chaos.

After the Wild took a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal from Kirill Kaprizov, the Stars took only nine total seconds to score two power-play goals of their own and turn the game upside down.

Later in the second period, Stars forward Joe Pavelski took a huge hit from Matt Dumba and crashed hard to the ice in the corner. The hit looked to be late and unnecessary, and exactly the type of hit the NHL is trying to eliminate, but Dumba was given only a minor penalty for roughing. The two teams combined for 92 hits in the game.

After that hit, the Wild took control of the game. Minnesota tied the game on a breakaway goal from Sam Steel, the first playoff goal of his career in his first NHL playoff game. Dallas looked dazed and without the backstopping of Jake Oettinger, likely would have been down at the end of two periods.

Instead, Oettinger gave his team a chance to take a deep breath and the Stars came out skating in the third. Although they did not get the go-ahead goal, Dallas pumped 12 shots at Filip Gustavsson in the third and in the eventual overtime, the Stars outshot Minnesota 17-6.

Gustavsson finished with 52 saves, a new Wild franchise record, while Oettinger stopped 48.

Key Takeaway: OT Magic

After scoring chances galore for Dallas in not only one, but two overtimes, Wild forward Ryan Hartman collected a loose puck and beat Oettinger over the glove to steal a game for Minnesota.

Edmonton Oilers 4, Los Angeles Kings 3 (OT)

The Edmonton Oilers took full control of the game early. After 12:31 of play, the Oilers held a 2-0 lead and looked to be on their way to running the Kings right out of Alberta. The game featured 99 total hits.

But the Kings would just not go away.

Less than a minute into the third period, Adrian Kempe pulled LA back within one. But soon after, when Leon Draisaitl converted on a loose puck and added his second of the night, it once again looked like lights out. Kempe would not have it. The winger scored his second of the game, matching Draisaitl and tightening the arteries of Oilers fans around the world.

With the clock ticking down, LA set up the perfect one-timer from Phillip Danault. Oilers netminder Stuart Skinner made the stop, but the puck leaked through for the Kings, and NHL legend Anze Kopitar to tie the game with under 17 seconds remaining.

As both NHL games went to overtime simultaneously, Viktor Arviddson found Alex Iafollo in the low slot on the power play, and the Kings found a way to complete a heroic comeback and take Game 1 in Edmonton.

Key Takeaway: Never give up

Twice, the Kings trailed by two goals and despite being run out of the building for a huge chunk of the game, they never went away. That gutsy effort earned them a huge win in Game 1 of the NHL playoffs and stole home-ice advantage out from under the Edmonton Oilers.