Dallas Stars vs Minnesota Wild Prediction & Picks - NHL
USA - NHL
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by Taavi Pailk | in NHL Picks
The Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild kick off an exciting Stanley Cup Playoffs first-round series on Saturday at American Airlines Center.
The two clashed just last week in Dallas, with the Stars winning 5-4. The regular-season series ended up tied at two, and the postseason matchup between the two sides should also be an even battle. Minnesota hasn’t won a playoff series since 2015 and needs Kirill Kaprizov to be at his best to take down a high-quality Dallas team.
Kaprizov scored two goals in last week’s loss to the Stars and had five points overall in three regular-season games against them. He’s a very versatile goal-scorer and also among the most creative players in the league. The Russian star was one of 10 players to record at least 40 goals and 40 assists during the regular season.
Dallas will work hard to minimize Kaprizov’s influence on the game, but the hosts must also worry about Minnesota’s other 40-goal scorer, Matt Boldy. Minnesota plans to start the series with Kaprizov and Boldy on separate lines, so it could be a pick-your-poison situation for Glen Gulutzan’s team.
The Stars’ ability to keep Minnesota’s offense quiet will be further complicated by the potential absence of Miro Heiskanen. The Finnish defensive star sat out the final three regular-season games due to a lower-body injury. It’s unclear if he’s going to be at 100 percent for Game 1, with recent reports suggesting Heiskanen will be a game-time decision for the contest.
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Dallas Stars vs Minnesota Wild Form
Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild Latest Matches
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Dallas Stars against Minnesota Wild : Head to Head (H2H)
50 %
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Players list
J. Oettinger
C. DeSmith
M. Heiskanen
N. Lundkvist
L. Bichsel
T. Harley
T. Myers
E. Lindell
J. Robertson
C. Blackwell
S. Steel
O. Back
W. Johnston
M. Bourque
J. Benn
M. Duchene
R. Faksa
A. Erne
M. Rantanen
J. Hryckowian
F. Gustavsson
J. Wallstedt
Q. Hughes
B. Faber
J. Middleton
J. Brodin
Z. Bogosian
J. Spurgeon
N. Foligno
D. Yurov
M. Boldy
Y. Trenin
V. Tarasenko
M. Johansson
M. Zuccarello
M. Foligno
J. Eriksson Ek
K. Kaprizov
R. Hartman
M. McCarron
Most goals and assists
Dallas Stars
Minnesota Wild
J. Robertson
(50 Goals)
M. Boldy
(49 Goals)
M. Rantanen
(61 Assists)
Q. Hughes
(80 Assists)
Dallas Stars - Minnesota Wild Key Points
- Kirill Kaprizov scored in two of three regular-season meetings with the Stars in 2025-26.
- Only three players scored more regular-season goals than Kirill Kaprizov, while he was tied for the third-most power-play goals.
- Minnesota's power play, converting at 27.8 percent in April, gives the Wild a clear special teams advantage over a Dallas penalty kill that has been below-par at 77.3 percent.
- Dallas had a poor defensive record late in the regular season, allowing three or more goals in four of their last five games.
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Our Dallas Stars vs Minnesota Wild Prediction
Minnesota will hope history repeats itself on Saturday. When these teams last met during the postseason in 2023, the Wild won Game 1 in Dallas. Kaprizov started the scoring on the power play late in the first period. Ultimately, a Ryan Hartman strike decided the contest in the second overtime.
Backing Kaprizov to score again seems like a good option, given his history against the Stars and his recent form. The 28-year-old averaged a goal per game over his last seven regular-season contests.
Our prediction for Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild: K. Kaprizov to score any time.
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