Minnesota Wild vs Dallas Stars Series Preview

Its that time again Minnesota hockey fans!! Its playoff hockey time!!

Minnesota will take on Central division rival Dallas in the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

How They Got Here
Minnesota has largely had a really good season since the turn of the new year. The Wild were not doing great heading into the Christmas season and rebounded in a big way afterwards. To put it in perspective, before the final week and a half of the season, the Wild had only lost 4 games in regulation since early January. However, in early March, disaster struck. Minnesota star wing Kirill Kaprizov was checked like a sandwich and put on the injured list with an abdomen injury. The dominoes would continue to fall when Joel Erikkson Ek also went out with an injury. Kaprizov has since returned to the Wild, but since the team clinched a playoff berth a couple weeks back he hasn't had much ice time. Erikkson Ek is day-to-day still as the Wild head to the playoffs. Given that he has skated with the team recently in free skate, it is anticipated he will return to the lineup very soon.
Dallas has a similar story. Except, the Stars have been great since the season opener. Dallas started the year at the top of the division. They stumbled around the middle of the year but have also been very good since early January. They were in play for the Central's top seed until they lost in overtime in the final week of the season and Colorado won their final few games. 

Regular Season Series
Minnesota and Dallas played 4 times in the regular season, with a split of 2 games apiece between the teams. Both teams claimed a home and away game in the series. Only two games went past the 3rd period, and the Wild claimed both of their wins in this fashion in shootouts. The teams opened the series in December with a Wild shoutout win in Dallas. Then the Wild hosted the next game just before the new year and the Stars dominated for a 4-1 win. Domination continued in the next matchup, this time in Dallas for another 4-1 win in early February. However, in mid February, the Wild claimed the final game in a shootout at home for a 2-1 win. 
What can be drawn from this series? Well, the Wild seem to know how to beat the Stars in shootout. But thats about it. 

Up Next
Minnesota will begin the series against the Stars in Dallas on Monday, April 17th at 8:30 PM CT.

​Lets Go Wild!!