A little over 92 minutes of playing time spread over four hours and 10 minutes. This is the marathon the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars players were in on Monday night as the curtain went up on their first-round confrontation.
• Also read: Filip Gustavsson and Ryan Hartman shine, the wild ones surprise the stars
It was one o’clock in the morning, Dallas time, when Ryan Hartman closed the books on that meeting, the longest in Savage history.
“It’s the kind of match that’s so exciting,” said Frédérick Gaudreau when contacted by the Journal. On a night like this you invest so much energy that you want to assert yourself.”
During that meeting, the Bromontois covered the field for 21 minutes and 14 seconds. Unsurprisingly, this is the game he’s been busiest on.
That’s nothing compared to Matt Dumba and Jonas Brodin, however, who saw over 38 minutes of action.
“You need gas to be able to play that much,” Gaudreau said.
And how do you keep the reservoir level as high as possible?
“There are several who ate bananas. I personally find it difficult to eat in the middle of a time like this. I’d rather make sure I stay hydrated with different types of electrolytes,” explained the 29-year-old forward.
To start from scratch
However, it is mainly the following days that cause problems for the system. Especially for the losing team. Gaudreau knows something of this, he who was involved in another game that required a second overtime while wearing the colors of the Penguins.
“It is certain that you feel it more when you lose. But at the same time, the momentum in the playoffs doesn’t carry over from game to game.”
“No matter how you win or lose, it’s about starting all over again two days later,” he continued. You have to track every inch, every goal, every little win.”
And sometimes there is a danger in winning such an intense and emotional match.
“When you win, you get an adrenaline rush, but you also have to bring yourself back into neutrality in order to sleep well and have a good rest,” Gaudreau said. They will not bring their disappointment to the stars in the second game. You will be the first to be ready.
Fleury on the bench
At the start of this series, Dean Evason sent Filip Gustavsson into the net rather than Marc-André Fleury for his team.
“We have no preference,” Gaudreau launched, careful not to create controversy. Both have been solid all season. Whether it’s Gus or Flower, you’ll feel comfortable and confident. We’re lucky to have such a goalkeeper duo.
Given that the two masked men took turns for a good chunk of the season, we don’t know what will happen next. For the first game, however, the Swede proved his coach right by repelling 51 of the 53 shots aimed at him, earning him the second star of the game.