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NHL playoffs winners and losers: Stars falter in Game 1 again
TL;DR
The Dallas Stars lost 6-1 to the Minnesota Wild in their playoff opener, continuing a trend of poor performances in Game 1s. This marks the Stars' ninth loss in their last 11 playoff openers.
Key points
- Dallas Stars lost 6-1 to Minnesota Wild
- Stars have poor record in Game 1s
- Ninth loss in last 11 playoff openers
- Stars reached conference finals last three seasons
Dallas StarsMinnesota Wild
NHL playoffs winners and losers: Stars falter in Game 1 again
The Dallas Stars, despite reaching the conference finals the past three seasons, have a poor record in Game 1s.
The effort in their Saturday, April 18 playoff opener was poorer than usual.
The Stars were routed 6-1 at home by the Minnesota Wild and find themselves trailing after the first game of the series for the ninth time in their last 11 openers.
Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said "to a man," the Wild were better than his team, which didn't happen a lot during the regular season.
"You can't get your game going if you're not going to win battles," he told reporters. "You can take any metric and if you lose skating battles and puck battles, you're always on the receiving end of everything negative."
The Stars, under previous coach Peter DeBoer, overcame a 5-1 loss in their 2025 playoff opener to beat the Colorado Avalanche in seven games, so they are far from in trouble.
"There's room for growth," Gulutzan said.
Here are the winners and losers from the opening night of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs:
WINNERS
Jesper Wallstedt, Minnesota Wild
Coach John Hynes chose the rookie over veteran Filip Gustavsson for Game 1. Wallstedt made 27 saves for a victory in his first playoff game. In fact, coaches made the right decisions in net in other games. Carolina veteran Frederik Andersen got the start over Brandon Bussi and had a 22-save shutout. kept the in the game during their loss to the .
Q&A
What was the score of the Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild playoff game?
The Dallas Stars lost to the Minnesota Wild 6-1 in their playoff opener.
How many Game 1s have the Dallas Stars lost in recent playoffs?
The Dallas Stars have lost nine of their last 11 playoff openers.
What is the Dallas Stars' playoff history in Game 1s?
Despite reaching the conference finals in the past three seasons, the Dallas Stars have a poor record in Game 1s.
Who did the Dallas Stars play in their playoff opener?
The Dallas Stars played against the Minnesota Wild in their playoff opener.
