Every lapse was punished. It was the hockey equivalent of a championship fight in the late rounds—one side running low on energy, the other somehow finding another burst and continuing to land clean shots.We were prepared to write about how Minnesota had played itself into a corner. Instead of being tied in the series—or perhaps even leading it—the Wild appeared destined to stare elimination directly in the face.Then, with 5:20 remaining in regulation, everything changed.Marcus Foligno dragged Minnesota even at 2-2, gathering his own rebound while tumbling over Jake Oettinger near the left post and somehow backhanding the puck into the net.

In an instant, dread gave way to belief.Chaos Before The BreakthroughWhat made the sequence even more remarkable was what happened moments earlier.Matt Boldy nearly authored one of the strangest goals of the post-season when he tried to front-kick a loose puck past Oettinger, looking more like an Olympic Taekwondo finalist than an NHL winger. The puck crossed the line, but the referee waved it off immediately.There was no controversy. It was the correct call.MORE: NHL Must Address Jamie Benn After String of Dangerous, Uncalled PlaysStill, Boldy deserved credit for the audacity alone.

Great players often find themselves searching for solutions others would never attempt, and Boldy was clearly willing to explore every possible one.The Wild, despite being outplayed for much of the night, were refusing to accept the script written for them.When Belief Meets OpportunityMinnesota was just 29 seconds away from a second straight double-overtime game. That was the path on Wednesday, when Dallas escaped with a 4-3 victory to seize a 2-1 series lead.But Boldy had other plans.As Joel Eriksson Ek created havoc at the top of the crease—jostling with Tyler Myers, drawing attention, making life miserable for everyone in front—captain Jared Spurgeon stepped into a wrist shot from the point.Boldy was waiting.His redirection found the net, and with it came one of those playoff moments that can alter an entire series.

What was shaping up to be a somber story became a scene of eruption, resilience, and release.MORE: 'He's The Future Of This Team': Behind Wallstedt's Phenomenal Performance In Game 4The Wild were not the better team for long stretches of the game. They were outskated at times, out-executed at others, and repeatedly frustrated by missed opportunities, including sequences where Oettinger was out of position and vulnerable.But they never stopped pushing.They kept shooting. They kept forechecking.

They kept believing.They played with fire all night and looked destined to be burned by it. Instead, they reached into their back pocket and pulled out the extinguisher.The Heart Of A ContenderMany predicted this series would go seven games. For portions of this night, it felt possible it might end in five.That is the beauty and cruelty of the NHL playoff format.

Two excellent teams meet too early, and one of them must go home long before it feels deserved. Depending on where your loyalties lie, that reality is either tragic or perfectly satisfying.But the playoffs have always been where stories are written, and reputations are forged.Dallas knows that better than anyone. Last spring, the Stars eliminated the Colorado Avalanche in seven games while battling injuries to key players such as Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen, with Tyler Seguin gutting it out after hip surgery.

They found a way.Now the burden of adversity belongs, at least in part, to Minnesota.Yakov Trenin, one of the league’s most punishing physical forwards, has missed the last two games after taking a heavy hit from Colin Blackwell. Mats Zuccarello, who posted three assists in Minnesota’s 6-1 victory earlier in the series, has been sidelined with an upper-body injury after taking an elbow to the head from Myers.And yet, the Wild clawed, scratched, and survived.That is what contenders do.Dallas still possesses a dangerous power play, but at five-on-five, Minnesota has begun to expose cracks that were not visible before. Momentum can be fleeting this time of year, but confidence can be contagious.What comes next may be two of the best games hockey gives us all season.Because once a team discovers it can survive the punch that should have ended it, it becomes dangerous in ways numbers can never measure.More NHL NewsWhich 3 NHL team