Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild finally set for Game 1 in long-expected 1st-round NHL playoff series

DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild have expected this first-round playoff matchup for months, and the Central Division rivals really set a tone for the series in a physical game just over a week ago in the same building.

“I think it's exactly what it was,” Stars forward Mikko Rantanen said Friday.

Dallas won 5-4 in that game April 9, when there were 12 roughing penalties — six on each side. Each team won twice in the regular-season series in which both scored 13 goals.

“They got the best of us for sure, but it was a great hockey game for the end of a regular season,” Minnesota forward Matt Boldy said.

Now, the teams that were in second and third place in the Central throughout most of the season behind Presidents' Trophy winner Colorado play a best-of-seven series. Game 1 is Saturday in Dallas.

The Wild missed a chance that night to match the Stars in the standings. Instead, Dallas pretty much locked up home-ice advantage with the second of five consecutive wins to end the regular season.

“We learned some lessons last time we played them," Wild forward Marcus Foligno said. “We know that they’re a really, really good team, and so are we. They have some lethal weapons. We’re just more educated, more experienced going into this series than we were before. We always like our chances. We’re positive.”

40-40 duos for both teams

Both teams have a pair of 40-goal scorers in the same season for the first time. Kirill Kaprizov (45 goals) and Boldy (42) did it for the Wild. Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston, the 22-year-old center already in his fourth postseason, each scored 45 goals for the Stars.

“That’s a legit number,” Stars veteran forward Matt Duchene said.

Injuries and ills

Dallas defenseman Miro Heiskanen skated with the team Friday for the first time since a lower-body injury sustained when he was knocked hard into the boards by Ryan Hartman in the last game against the Wild.

Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said Heiskanen, who missed the start of last year's playoffs, made it through practice with no issues and felt good.

“I would think that as long as everything goes good, he should be in,” Gulutzan said. “He means everything on both sides of the puck for us. Power play, penalty kill, he touches all parts of the game.”

Stars top-line center Roope Hintz, who last played March 6, will miss the start of the playoffs after a setback in his recovery from a lower-body injury.

Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes, who has been dealing with an illness since last playing Saturday, traveled to Dallas on his own Friday after not going with the team Thursday.

“With the illness, I think more rest for him and just not having him on the plane,” coach John Hynes said. “The expectation is for him to play."

Between the pipes

Jake Oettinger is going into his 11th playoff series as the starting goalie for the Stars, and second for the Minnesota native against the Wild — he grew up about 30 miles from their arena. His first playoff series win was in six games against the Wild in the first round of the 2023 postseason.

The Wild are going with rookie Jesper Wallstedt over playoff-experienced Filip Gustavsson, though Hynes emphasized that is a decision for Game 1 and not the entire series.

“His overall body work has been really solid. He's played really well coming down the stretch,” Hynes said of the 23-year-old rookie. “We're confident in both guys.”

Gustavsson made his playoff debut three years ago with 51 saves in a double-overtime win over the Stars during Game 1. Wallstedt made 33 starts in his NHL debut this season, ranking second in the league with a .916 save percentage while setting franchise rookie records with 18 wins and four shutouts.

Tarasenko gives the Wild a wild-card scorer

While the Stars will be plenty focused on trying to keep Kaprizov and Boldy off the scoresheet, the Wild have a trusty scorer on their third line with plenty of playoff experience in Vladimir Tarasenko. The longtime St. Louis star, who has won the Stanley Cup twice in his 14-year career, has 49 goals in 121 career playoff games. Tarasenko had 23 goals and 24 assists in his first season with Minnesota.

“He’s a big-game player," Hynes said. “I think that leadership and the way he plays is certainly a playoff-style of game.”

Some playoff history

The Stars won both previous postseason series against Minnesota in six games, in 2016 and 2023. ... Dallas was the Minnesota North Stars before the franchise moved south in 1993. ... The Wild's 12 postseason appearances in 14 years are the most in the NHL during that span. They have lost nine straight series, since beating St. Louis in the first round in 2015. .... Dallas is in its fifth consecutive postseason, the last three ending in the West final. ... Gulutzan, part of 83 playoff games as an Edmonton assistant, including trips to the Stanley Cup Final the last two seasons, is looking for his first postseason win as a head coach. Calgary was swept in the first round by Anaheim with Gulutzan in 2017.

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