Matt Boldy and Wild go home with chance to clinch series after beating Stars 4-2 in Game 5

DALLAS (AP) — Matt Boldy scored the tiebreaking power-play goal in the final minute of the second period, after having one taken away late in the first, and the Minnesota Wild beat the Dallas Stars 4-2 on Tuesday night for a 3-2 lead in their first-round Western Conference series.

Kirill Kaprizov scored an empty-net goal with two minutes left and had two assists, while Mats Zuccarello scored in his return from a three-game absence with an upper-body injury for the Wild. Michael McCarron also had a third-period goal.

“When we play as a tight connected five-man unit, I think we’re usually at our best,” coach John Hynes said. “I thought we were responsible, had strong attention to detail, got some key saves when we needed them.”

Rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt had 20 saves, 11 in the third period.

The Wild go home for Game 6 on Thursday with a chance to advance to the second round for the first time since 2015. They have lost their last nine playoff series, including to Dallas in 2016 and 2023.

“We've got to just look to control our emotions in Game 6 and in front of our home crowd, a place where we had a good feeling leaving last time,” forward Marcus Foligno said.

Jason Robertson had a goal with 3:21 left — after also scoring goals in each of the first four games — and assisted on Miro Heiskanen's one-timer on a power play for the Stars, who made the Western Conference final each of the past three seasons.

Robertson’s goal came with an extra skater on the ice for Dallas, which missed all 16 of its shots in five-on-five situations, after going 0 for 40 in Game 4 — and now is 3 of 117 in the series.

“You just have to stick with it,” Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said. “We did create some opportunities for ourselves, now we’ve got to take the next step and convert on some of them.”

Game 7, if needed, would be in Dallas on Saturday.

Boldy, who had two goals in Game 1 and the overtime winner in Game 4 on a deflection Saturday, scored on a shot from the top of the circle to the left of goalie Jake Oettinger for a 2-1 lead with 32 seconds left in the second period.

Oettinger stopped 24 shots, including a sprawling save before that period even ended.

There were only 13 seconds left in the first period when Boldy knocked the puck through on a power play. Dallas won its challenge for goalie interference, with replay showing Boldy made contact on his second-effort shot.

That was the third time in two games Boldy had a goal negated, but he still has four goals this postseason after 42 in the regular season. In Game 4, he had a goal waved off in regulation because of goalie interference, and another discounted in overtime because he made a kicking motion at the puck.

Zuccarello hadn't played since having three assists in the Wild's 6-1 win to open the series, when he also took an elbow to the head.

He had a quick impact in his return, scoring 3:51 in to the game after Kaprizov gathered the rebound of his initial up-close shot off Oettinger then slid the puck over the top of the crease to Zuccarello on the other side of net.

The Stars tied the game five minutes later when Heiskanen shot a one-timer from about 50 feet through the center of the ice.

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Minnesota Wild right wing Mats Zuccarello (36) and Dallas Stars center Colin Blackwell, right, scuffle at the end of the first period in Game 5 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoffs hockey series, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Minnesota Wild right wing Mats Zuccarello skates by his bench after scoring a goal against the Dallas Stars during the first period in Game 5 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoffs hockey series, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

A shot by Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen, not visible, gets by Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt (30) for a goal during the first period in Game 5 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoffs hockey series, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Minnesota Wild left wing Matt Boldy, left, celebrates his second period power play goal with left wing Kirill Kaprizov in Game 5 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoffs hockey series against the Dallas Stars, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger, left, looks on as Minnesota Wild players celebrate a second period power play goal by left wing Matt Boldy, back right, in Game 5 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoffs hockey series, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 39 points, nearly extending his own franchise record for 40-point playoff games, and the New York Knicks routed the Atlanta Hawks 126-97 on Tuesday night for a 3-2 lead in the first-round playoff series.

With their second straight lopsided victory, the Knicks positioned themselves to win the series Thursday night in Atlanta. They would have another chance at home in Game 7 if they need it — and it's getting harder to picture why they should.

The Hawks took a 2-1 lead in the series with one-point victories in Games 2 and 3, but a pretty sizable gap between the teams has appeared since. The Knicks led by 24 on their way to a 114-98 win in Game 4 in Atlanta and by 32 on Tuesday, when the lead was never below double digits in the second half.

“I know they’re going to try to bring a lot of force down there,” Knicks reserve Jordan Clarkson said. “So we've got to be prepared and we know what’s coming, so we’ll be ready.”

Brunson already had eight 40-point games in his first three postseasons with the Knicks. He hadn't even cracked 30 in this series until pouring in 17 points in the fourth quarter to prevent any chance of Atlanta making it a game.

Brunson said the Knicks have picked up their play in the last two games and said they were confident, but also cautious.

“Anything can happen in this series, so we’ve just got to be locked in for Game 6,” he said.

OG Anunoby added 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks, while Karl-Anthony Towns had 16 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. The Knicks need one more victory to reach the second round for the fourth straight season, which would continue their longest streak since advancing nine straight times from 1991-92 through 1999-2000.

Jalen Johnson had 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the Hawks. Dyson Daniels scored 17, but CJ McCollum, the catalyst of both Atlanta victories, had just six.

The Knicks outrebounded the Hawks 48-27 and had a 13-4 advantage in fast-break points against an Atlanta team that needs to win the transition game.

“I just think that their mindset was to come out and try to bully us and be physical, and they did that," Daniels said.

The Knicks made eight of their first 12 shots, then broke free with a 9-0 run late in the first quarter and were ahead 35-22 at the end of the period. Brunson had the last two baskets of an 8-0 surge in the second that pushed it to 59-37, and the Knicks led 64-48 at the break after making 58.5% their shots.

Leading by 18 after three, they put it away when Brunson had a three-point play and 3-pointer to ignite a 12-0 spurt that made it 110-82.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Onyeka Okongwu both had 16 points for the Hawks.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

New York Knicks' OG Anunoby, right, drives past Atlanta Hawks' Onyeka Okongwu during the first half in Game 5 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson, left, and OG Anunoby, right, defend Atlanta Hawks' Jalen Johnson, center, during the first half in Game 5 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson (11) talks to a teammate during the first half in Game 5 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series against the Atlanta Hawks, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Atlanta Hawks' Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) fights for control of the ball with New York Knicks' Mitchell Robinson (23) during the first half in Game 5 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson drives past Atlanta Hawks' Dyson Daniels (5) during the first half in Game 5 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)