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As far as Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Foligno is concerned, the key to regaining control of his team’s first-round playoff series is staying out of the penalty box. That’s it. Simply keep the same number of players on the ice as the Dallas Stars. “They’re looking to play 5-on-4,” Marcus Foligno said. “That’s their game. They can’t hang with us 5-on-5. So we’ve just got to be smarter, and myself included. “But it’s a heated game out there.” The heat figures to intensify when the Wild face off against the Stars on Wednesday night in Game 3 of their best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinals series in Saint Paul, Minn. The series is tied at 1-1 after the Wild took Game 1

Limited to just 33 games in the regular season by a series of injuries, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams never really developed much of a rhythm. However, after his 22-point, seven-rebound, six-assist performance in the Thunder’s 119-84 Game 1 win over the Phoenix Suns in their first-round playoff series, Williams looks as if he is finally returning to form after being a key piece in last season’s championship run. “He’s been out for so long, we knew it was going to take some time for him to get back to himself,” Oklahoma City’s Luguentz Dort said. “But he is now. He’s confident, real aggressive.” The series continues Wednesday when the Thunder and Suns meet in Oklahoma City for Game

In a first-round playoff series between Pennsylvania rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers threw the first punch — and the second. Holding a 2-0 edge in the best-of-seven series, the Flyers look to take a commanding lead on the Pittsburgh Penguins when the teams reconvene for Game 3 Wednesday in Philadelphia. After recording a 3-2 victory in Game 1 over the weekend, Philadelphia blanked Pittsburgh 3-0 on Monday behind 27 saves from Dan Vladar. Vladar’s first shutout since joining the Flyers last summer was also his first career postseason blanking. “He has been like that all year for us,” Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said. “Guys enjoy playing for him. He comes by the bench, he’s talking to the players. A lot of

After an exceptional regular season, this wasn’t the start to the NBA playoffs that the Detroit Pistons envisioned. Reeling from a stunning Game 1 loss in which only two players reached double figures, the Eastern Conference’s top seed heads into Game 2 Wednesday against the visiting Orlando Magic facing early pressure to reset the best-of-seven series. The eighth-seeded Magic controlled the opener from the start, never trailing and leaning on a balanced offensive attack. Paolo Banchero led the way with 23 points while Franz Wagner scored 11 of his 19 in the fourth quarter to help close out the 112-101 win. For Detroit, the issue wasn’t just the loss — it was how it happened. The Pistons never established their