The Dallas Stars face elimination after a 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild in Game 5 of the NHL playoffs. The Stars have struggled to score at even strength and must win their next two games to advance.
Key points
Dallas Stars lost 4-2 to Minnesota Wild in Game 5
Stars face elimination in the first round of NHL playoffs
Dallas has struggled to score at even strength
Roope Hintz is inactive for Game 6
Minnesota Wild has outscored Dallas 11-3 at even strength
Dallas StarsMinnesota Wild
Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene (95), center Wyatt Johnston (53) and defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) leave ice after a 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild in Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series at American Airlines Center on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Dallas. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News)Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene (95), center Wyatt Johnston (53) and defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) leave ice after a 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild in Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series at American Airlines Center on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Dallas. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News)
The last three Dallas Starsâ seasons have ended on May 29 (here against Vegas), June 2 (in Edmonton) and May 29 again last year (here against Edmonton). That final one also ended Pete DeBoerâs time here in Dallas, and nothing quite so drastic awaits Glen Gulutzan.
But itâs a shock to everyone invested in this team as an owner, player or fan that the Stars may be finished in April this year.
Dallas Stars center (12) falls to the ice after being checked into the boards by Minnesota Wild center (47) during the second period in Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series game in Dallas, April 28, 2026. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)
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The Minnesota Wild played its best game since Game 1 in Tuesday night. It was a dominant performance as, once again, the Starsâ came with the man advantage. They scored a tying goal on a power play (their ninth in five games) and added another late when the teams were playing 4-on-4 and Dallas pulled goalie Jake Oettinger. Technically, that ended the Starsâ streak of not being able to score at even strength at 3 hours, 34 minutes, 32 seconds.
Regardless, Dallas is one game away from a first-round elimination and in need of a pair of victories to take another shot at . The Stars have won back-to-back games once in this series (2 and 3), but theyâll be asked to do it the hard way now, winning first in St. Paul Thursday night where Wild fans might just be standing the entire game. As badly as fans up there feel about the Stars and their exodus from Minneapolis last century, they really just want to see their team end a streak of first-round series losses at eight.
Minnesota is doing everything possible to make that happen. The Wild blocked more shots, won more face-offs, dealt out more hits and had a huge edge in shots on goal until the Stars reduced the difference in late desperation time Tuesday night. For the five games, Minnesota has outscored Dallas 11-3 when playing 5-on-5. Those numbers would normally indicate that a series is already over. To right the ship and turn the series around, the Stars simply canât wait for the refereeâs arm to go up in the air, signaling another power play chance.
âEveryone needs to step up now, your top guys, your bottom guys,ââ Gulutzan said. âIf youâre going to win a series or even multiple series, you need all contributors for it, so we need a little bit more from everybody. Give them credit for some of their blocks. We had some looks that they stopped but we also missed the net on some chances.ââ
Hard to believe the Stars are five games deep into a playoff run that could be winding down in very short time, and Wyatt Johnston has one point at even strength. has zero points at even strength. The Stars are demonstrating , who will remain inactive for Game 6, but the Wild has done an exemplary job of controlling the puck and reducing chances, especially as this series has gone along.
âProbably thereâs some quicker puck movement [needed],ââ Rantanen said. âIf you move it quick and shoot it quick, then itâs harder to block.ââ
Minnesota had 26 blocked shots to the Starsâ nine Tuesday night.
âItâs mental toughness from now on. You know your backs are against the wall, itâs pretty simple,ââ Rantanen said. âItâs leave it all out there in Minnesota the next game and see where it takes us. Thatâs all we can do.ââ
From the looks of things, it wonât be enough. No one is asking for Rantanen to produce a hat trick and save a series the way he did in Game 7 against the Avalanche in last yearâs first round. Just an even strength goal early in Game 6. Or maybe an even strength assist. Something to alert the Wild that they donât have this offense completely shut down when itâs not carrying the man advantage.
Can Dallas do that? In a turnaround from playoffs past, the guy carrying the team is . He has done that a lot in regular-season play, but his postseason numbers have not measured up the last four years. Robertson, who has five goals in five games, had the Starsâ four-on-four goal Monday that cut the Wildâs lead to 3-2 with 3:21 to play, giving local fans one last chance to shout and hope. But âs empty-net goal â actually an excellent hard-working shot to get away from Dallasâ pressure â restored the two-goal lead with two minutes left and had Starsâ fans streaming for the exits.
The fans plan to be back here Saturday night, ready to believe in this clubâs Game 7 magic that produced home-ice wins against , Vegas and Colorado the last three seasons. It should be mentioned that those happened on DeBoerâs watch. Maybe thereâs no difference in how the team would play in Game 7 circumstances with Gulutzan in charge. But first the Stars have to find a way to make that happen while the odds are shifting increasingly in Minnesotaâs favor.
Q&A
What was the score of the Dallas Stars vs Minnesota Wild Game 5?
The Dallas Stars lost to the Minnesota Wild 4-2 in Game 5 of the NHL playoffs.
How many games have the Dallas Stars lost in the playoffs so far?
The Dallas Stars have lost three games in the playoffs so far, putting them one game away from elimination.
Who are the key players missing for the Dallas Stars in this series?
The Dallas Stars are missing center Roope Hintz, which has impacted their performance in the series.
What do the Dallas Stars need to improve to avoid elimination?
The Dallas Stars need to enhance their even-strength scoring and overall team contributions to avoid elimination.
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Dallas Stars center Radek Faksa (12) falls to the ice after being checked into the boards by Minnesota Wild center Michael McCarron (47) during the second period in Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series game in Dallas, April 28, 2026. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)