North Stars Fight Back Quickly, Rout Oilers, 7-3 : NHL playoffs: They go up, 2-1, in semifinal series after Edmonton Coach Muckler says Minnesota can’t keep up.

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. â€”  When John Muckler said the Minnesota North Stars couldn’t keep up with his Edmonton Oilers, he didn’t know those were fighting words.

The North Stars showed some speed of their own while routing the Oilers, 7-3, Monday night to take a 2-1 lead in their Stanley Cup semifinal series.

“I’d rather play a speed game than a slowdown game,� said Dave Gagner, who had three assists for the North Stars.

“Mike Modano displayed enough speed on that first goal to show we’re not a slow team. Mike Modano was going about 300 miles an hour.�

Muckler made his comments last Saturday night after Edmonton scored a 7-2 victory over Minnesota to even the series.

The North Stars took exception.

“We’ve been playing that type of style at home for a long time,� Modano said. “We like to open it up. In the playoffs, we’ve used our skating to our advantage. We’ve got a lot of good skaters.

“There’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to skate with the Edmonton Oilers.�

For the ninth time in 15 playoff games, the North Stars scored in the first five minutes. Of Minnesota’s 57 postseason goals, 26 have come in the opening period.

Modano’s breakaway goal at the four-minute mark got the Stars going. Gagner’s pass caught Modano in stride at center ice. Modano then split defensemen Steve Smith and Jeff Beukeboom, deked goalie Grant Fuhr to his knees and scored on a backhander.

Brian Propp scored his seventh power-play goal of the playoffs at 9:52 to make it 2-0, and after Kelly Buchberger scored for Edmonton, Mark Tinordi’s goal gave Minnesota a 3-1 lead with 1:24 left in the first period.

Grant Fuhr, considered by some to be the world’s best goalie, was pulled after allowing three goals on eight shots in the first period.

He was replaced by 1990 playoff most valuable player Bill Ranford, who has voiced his displeasure over not starting since this year’s postseason opener, but it didn’t make any difference. Muckler said he didn’t know which goalie would start Wednesday night in Game 4 at Bloomington.

Edmonton’s Craig Simpson scored twice in the second period, but Bobby Smith’s extraordinary end-to-end effort kept the North Stars ahead, 4-3.

Brian Bellows scored for Minnesota late in the second period and again early in the third, and Shane Churla’s scored with 1:15 left.

Minnesota is 18-2-2 at Met Center since Jan. 17, including a 6-1 record in the playoffs.

The Oilers are 0-3 at Met Center this season and have been outscored, 17-5.