NHL Playoffs: Dallas Stars advance, fans react on Twitter

Dallas Stars fans everywhere celebrated the team’s first second-round appearance in the NHL playoffs since 2008 on Twitter.

After a chaotic and emotional third period, the Stars finally defeated the Minnesota Wild 5-4, winning the series with a 4-2 record.

John Klingberg, Jason Spezza, Patrick Sharp, Jamie Benn and Alex Goligoski all scored for the Stars.  Benn also had two assists during the game, pushing him to 10 points in the series. Jared Spurgeon scored two of Minnesota’s four third-period goals, both on the power play, and Jonas Bronin and Jason Pominville scored the others. Dallas goaltender Kari Lehtonen, who reentered the crease to replace Antti Niemi, stopped 25 shots on goal while Minnesota’s Devan Dubnyk stopped 19.

Twitter exploded throughout the mercurial third period of the game. Much discussion was and will continue to be in regards to two ugly shots on goal in the final period: the first, in which Dubnyk clearly pushed the puck shot by a Dallas player into his own net, the second in which a Wild shot on goal was essentially across the goal line but wasn’t a millimeter over enough to warrant it recognition as an actual goal. Eliminating these two goals, the Stars and the Wild would be tied 4-4 at the end of the third and be forced into their second overtime of the series.

Texas, once again, proves itself to be the State of Hockey @mnwild pic.twitter.com/TULpLu6kSo