In an exciting Central Division matchup, the Minnesota Wild is set to take on the Dallas Stars at 7:00 p.m. as they kick off a critical four-game homestand. This encounter marks the second meeting of the season between the two teams, with the Stars having secured a decisive 5-2 victory in their first face-off on October 14. During that game, Minnesota’s Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov contributed each with a goal and an assist, while Dallas’s Zeev Buium impressed with two assists. Notably, the Stars capitalized on their power play, going two-for-two, which was a significant factor in their win.
Despite a glimmer of hope in their recent penalty-killing performance—allowing only one power-play goal in their last 10 games (25 successful kills out of 26 attempts since November 19)—the Wild will enter this game missing several key players. Defenseman Jake Middleton and forward Mats Zuccarello have been placed on Injured Reserve due to upper body injuries sustained during Monday night’s 4-1 victory over Seattle. The Wild are already dealing with the absence of forward Vinnie Hinostroza and Marcus Foligno, as well as Marco Rossi, all sidelined with lower body injuries. This series of injuries will require Minnesota to embrace a “next man up” philosophy against a challenging Dallas team, which boasts the second-best record in the NHL at 21 wins, 5 losses, and 5 overtime losses.
Filip Gustavsson is poised to start for Minnesota, aiming for back-to-back victories following a solid 23-save performance against Seattle. Over his last seven starts, Gustavsson has achieved a record of 4 wins, 1 loss, and 2 overtime losses, along with an impressive 1.81 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage, including one shutout. Historically, he has faced Dallas eight times, holding a record of 3 wins and 4 losses with a strong 2.15 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage. Remarkably, he has never lost consecutive games against the Stars in his career, despite suffering a defeat in their last encounter.
On the opposing side, Dallas will have Jake Oettinger, a native of Lakeville, MN, in goal. Oettinger has been consistent this season, sporting a record of 14 wins, 4 losses, and 2 overtime losses, with a 2.49 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage, alongside two shutouts. Impressively, he has maintained an unbeaten record against his hometown team, going 8-0-3 historically, with a 2.19 goals-against average and .926 save percentage in those matchups.
Playing at Grand Casino Arena has yielded success for the Wild, who have recorded a 7-0-2 record across their last nine home games. This streak ranks as the third-longest home point streak in the NHL this season and represents the franchise’s longest home point streak since matching a franchise record 13-game streak in 2022.
Fans will be keeping an eye on key players such as Vladimir Tarasenko, who has historically performed well against Dallas, accumulating 31 points (20 goals and 11 assists) in 37 games, including eight power-play goals and five game-winning goals. Additionally, Kirill Kaprizov, the Wild’s leading point scorer, has excelled against the Stars, achieving 16 points (8 goals and 8 assists) in just 11 games, and has managed to earn at least a point in nine of those matchups.
As the teams prepare to face off, all eyes will be on how the Wild adapt to their injuries and whether they can maintain their recent home success against a strong Dallas squad.
