Pk Subban Praises Matt Boldy During Game 5 Intermission
pk subban used the second intermission of Game 5 to put Matt Boldy in a simple category: elite enough to be called a DOG. The Minnesota Wild forward had already pushed his team into a 3-2 series lead over the Dallas Stars, and the praise landed in the middle of a playoff series where Boldy has kept producing in different ways.
Subban said, “Matt Boldy is, in fact, a DOG.” The line came during the second intermission of the Wild’s Game 5 win, when Minnesota had already taken control of the series and Boldy’s work was drawing attention for more than one reason.
Boldy’s Dallas workload
Boldy has not been living off one type of chance against Dallas. He has been lethal from the perimeter and has also been getting to the net, which is why the Stars have not held him to fewer than 4 shots in a game. In the most recent game referenced, he had 7 shots.
That shot volume fits the rest of his series line. Boldy had 28 shots in the playoffs, tied with Jason Robertson for the most in the postseason, and he also had two goals called back because of his effort in the crease. The numbers show a player who kept forcing action around the net instead of drifting outside it.
Game 3 hit, Game 4 answer
The series also carried a physical edge. In Game 3, Jamie Benn bowled over Boldy with a hit that led to a concussion spotter removing him from the game for the rest of the first period. Boldy played the rest of that game angry after the hit.
He answered in Game 4 with an otherworldly assist for Joel Eriksson Ek. That shift from punishment to production is part of why his series has stood out, even with Minnesota getting contributions from elsewhere.
Subban, Boldy, and 35 minutes
Subban’s take carried extra weight because he played against top NHL stars in the postseason and knows what the league looks like when a forward starts taking over a matchup. Boldy has been doing damage at 5-on-5 too, with a 2-0 edge in goals over Mikko Rantanen in 35 head-to-head minutes.
Rantanen had been held to one even-strength point, and that came on a 4-on-4 when Dallas pulled Jake Oettinger. Boldy was also controlling 61.3% of the expected goals against Rantanen at 5-on-5, a sign that his series has been about more than highlights.
For Minnesota, the 3-2 lead means one more win moves the Wild into the second round. Boldy’s line, the blocked goals, the 7-shot game, and Subban’s intermission praise all point to the same thing: Minnesota has a forward driving the series at both ends of the ice.
