The puck has finally dropped on what promises to be a bruising, high-octane first-round playoff series between the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild, two Central Division rivals who have been circling each other for months. Fans in Dallas were buzzing as Game 1 got underway Saturday night, with both teams entering the postseason on the back of a fiercely contested regular-season finale and a season series that couldn’t have been much tighter.
It’s not every year that you see such symmetry between playoff opponents. In the 2025-26 NHL regular season, Dallas and Minnesota split their four meetings, each winning twice and each scoring exactly 13 goals. Their most recent clash on April 9 was a physical affair, ending in a 5-4 Dallas win and featuring a whopping 12 roughing penalties—six per side. As Stars forward Mikko Rantanen put it, “I think it’s exactly what it was.”
That night, Dallas seized a crucial edge in the standings, locking up home-ice advantage with the second of what would become five straight wins to close out their campaign. The Wild, meanwhile, missed a chance to catch their rivals, but forward Matt Boldy saw the silver lining: “They got the best of us for sure, but it was a great hockey game for the end of a regular season.”
Now, the stakes are even higher as these two squads—second and third in the Central behind Colorado—begin their best-of-seven showdown. The anticipation has been building, not just because of their recent history, but also due to the star power on both rosters. For the first time ever, each team boasts a pair of 40-goal scorers in the same season. Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov (45 goals) and Matt Boldy (42) have been a dynamic duo, while Dallas counters with Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston, both notching 45 goals apiece. As veteran Stars forward Matt Duchene said, “That’s a legit number.”
But as is often the case in the playoffs, health and depth could make all the difference. Dallas defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who suffered a lower-body injury after being slammed into the boards by Minnesota’s Ryan Hartman on April 9, made a welcome return to the ice. After missing the final three regular-season games, Heiskanen skated on his own Thursday and joined team practice Friday. Stars coach Glen Gulutzan gave a positive update before Game 1, saying, “It’s the time of year he can go.” Heiskanen, who racked up 63 points this season (nine goals, 54 assists), is expected to play significant minutes, anchoring both the power play and penalty kill.
Across the ice, Minnesota’s blue line also received a boost with the return of Quinn Hughes. Acquired from Vancouver in December, Hughes had missed the Wild’s last two games due to illness, traveling separately to Dallas on Friday after not joining the team on Thursday. Hughes, who posted 76 points (seven goals, 69 assists) in 74 games, is a key puck-mover and will be vital to Minnesota’s hopes. Wild coach John Hynes expressed confidence in his defenseman, stating, “I just expect him to come in and do what he does.”
Not all the injury news was rosy, however. Dallas will be without top-line center Roope Hintz, who suffered a setback in his recovery from a lower-body injury and will miss the start of the series. That’s a significant blow, given Hintz’s two-way impact and playoff experience. On the Minnesota side, the rest of the roster appears healthy, with Hughes’ return providing a timely lift.
Goaltending is always a focal point come playoff time, and this series is no exception. Dallas turns once again to Jake Oettinger, who’s entering his 11th playoff series as the Stars’ starter. Oettinger already has a playoff series win over the Wild under his belt, having dispatched them in six games in the first round last spring. For Minnesota, the crease belongs to rookie Jesper Wallstedt for Game 1, a decision coach Hynes emphasized is “for Game 1 and not the entire series.” Wallstedt, just 23, impressed in his NHL debut season with a .916 save percentage, 18 wins, and four shutouts, all franchise rookie records. Still, the Wild have a steady hand in Filip Gustavsson waiting in the wings, should they need to make a change—Gustavsson famously made 51 saves in a double-overtime playoff win against Dallas three years ago.
Scoring depth could prove decisive, and Minnesota has an ace up its sleeve in Vladimir Tarasenko. The veteran winger, who joined the Wild this season and tallied 23 goals and 24 assists, brings a wealth of playoff experience—49 goals in 121 career postseason games and two Stanley Cup rings. “He’s a big-game player,” Hynes said. “I think that leadership and the way he plays is certainly a playoff-style of game.” Tarasenko’s presence on the third line gives the Wild a wild-card threat that Dallas will need to respect.
When it comes to playoff pedigree, the Stars have the edge in recent head-to-head history. Dallas has won both previous postseason series against Minnesota, each in six games (2016 and 2023). Of course, old-timers will remember that the Stars were once the Minnesota North Stars before relocating to Texas in 1993. The Wild, for their part, have made 12 playoff appearances in the last 14 years—more than any other NHL team in that span—but have fallen on hard times in the postseason, losing nine straight series since their last win in 2015.
Dallas, meanwhile, is in its fifth consecutive postseason, though the last three have all ended in the Western Conference final. There’s a hunger in the Stars’ locker room to finally break through, and coach Glen Gulutzan, who’s been to the Stanley Cup Final twice as an Edmonton assistant, is chasing his first playoff series win as a head coach. “He means everything on both sides of the puck for us,” Gulutzan said of Heiskanen. “Power play, penalty kill, he touches all parts of the game.”
Both teams come into the series with a chip on their shoulder and something to prove. The Wild are desperate to shake off their playoff woes, while the Stars are determined to capitalize on their recent momentum and home-ice advantage. The physicality and animosity from their last meeting are sure to carry over, and with so much firepower on both sides, fans can expect high-scoring, emotional hockey.
As the opening game unfolds in Dallas, all eyes are on the marquee matchups—Kaprizov and Boldy versus Robertson and Johnston, Heiskanen and Hughes patrolling the blue lines, and the battle between Oettinger and Wallstedt in net. The series is just getting started, but if the regular season was any indication, this one could go the distance.
With both teams at nearly full strength and a history of tight, hard-fought games, the Stars and Wild are set to deliver a playoff series that could be talked about for years to come. As the action continues, one thing’s for sure: neither side is backing down, and the drama is only just beginning.