DALLAS, Tex. -- And so we arrive on the eve of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Eight compelling series around the NHL. Sixteen teams starting a journey they hope will end four rounds later holding the hardest trophy to win in all of sport.
Here is a look at what is ahead for the Minnesota Wild in its first-round series against the Dallas Stars, a series that begins Monday night in Dallas at American Airlines Center.

Minnesota Wild - Third in Central Division (46-25-11)
Dallas Stars - Second in Central Division (47-21-14)

#

Overview

It took until the last day of the regular season to determine that defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado would end up atop the Central Division, edging past Dallas with a win in Nashville and moving the Stars into a clash with the Minnesota Wild. The Stars are rolling, coming into the playoffs on a six-game win streak and are 10-2-1 in their last 13 games. They are led by Jason Robertson who might be the NHL's quietest superstar. He finished the season tied for 6th in league scoring with 109 points. At the other end of the experience spectrum veteran captain Jamie Benn and the ageless Joe Pavelski combined for 61 goals and 155 points. The Stars, after a brief period where offense was stifled prior to the trade deadline, have become an offensive dynamo averaging north of four goals per game from March 1 on. They also have one of the top young defensemen in the game in Miro Heiskanen and an elite young netminder in Jake Oettinger. Pete DeBoer, in his first year as Stars head coach, is following his own pattern of having instant success with his clubs, a pattern that has been repeated during stops in New Jersey, San Jose and Vegas. "Obviously they've had a tremendous year," Wild head coach Dean Evason said. "They're a great hockey club. We look forward to the challenge."

#

Head To Head

The teams split four games with the Wild winning twice in a shootout and falling twice in regulation to the Stars.

#

Minnesota

There's still some fluidity to the Wild lineup heading into Game 1 on Monday in Dallas. Sam Steel lost considerable weight battling illness but he should be available. Marcus Johansson, who has fit seamlessly after being reacquired at the trade deadline with 18 points in 20 games, was sore after being cross-checked in last week's game against Winnipeg and did not play in the team's finale in Nashville. But he skated Saturday and is also expected to be available.
The big question mark surrounds center Joel Eriksson Ek who blocked a shot from Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin on April 6. He was described as being out 'week to week' but has been working out at the gym and on Saturday he did a vigorous session on-ice before the team's practice. He skated for a second straight day with skills and skating coach Andy Ness on Sunday prior to the team's practice. "I think they were out 45 minutes both days so very positive," Evason said. As for his availability in Dallas: "Always a chance," Evason said. He won't need to skate with the team before playing even though that is the normal pattern. "It's the time of year and certainly he's the type of person and player that if the doctors and he says 'I'm ready to go,' then he is in our lineup," Evason said. Eriksson Ek's presence in the Wild lineup cannot be overstated. As the team's top center, he is an important part of the penalty kill and the power play.
John Klingberg was not on the ice for the team's skate on Sunday prior to the flight to Dallas. "Had an issue from yesterday's practice. So, we'll see," head coach Dean Evason said. The coach described the injury as a lower body and his availability for Game 1 is uncertain. "We're not sure yet," Evason said.
Oskar Sundqvist, also acquired at the deadline, skated Saturday as well although it's not clear if he'll be ready to go Monday. He was injured in the Pittsburgh game as well and wore a non-contact jersey during Saturday's skate. The fact that no one is being ruled out yet for Game 1 means the coaching staff will have some potentially difficult decisions to make. "We spoke to the group today about the depth of our hockey club which we really like. Which is exciting and great for us as an organization. It's going to be tough on some individuals that aren't going to be in our lineup, right?" Evason said.

#

Dallas

The Stars hit the playoffs in good health with Mason Marchment returning from injury after missing a month of action.

#

Special Teams

Power Play

Since March 1 the Wild's power play ranks 25th in the NHL. Only two teams that qualified for the playoffs, Winnipeg and the New York Islanders, ranked lower in power play efficiency during that time. A mitigating factor was the absence of star forward Kirill Kaprizov. His return late in the regular season from injury should provide a boost in this important facet of the game. Also, trade deadline acquisition Klingberg still ranks as one of the most mobile defensemen in the league and his ability to walk the puck laterally across the blue line and get shots to the net should be a boon to the power play as he becomes more comfortable in the Wild system. With the potential of him being out of the lineup for Game 1, the Wild will need to fill his void in other ways. The Stars have been deadly with the man advantage especially down the stretch, ranking second in the league in power play efficiency behind Edmonton since March 1.

#

Penalty Kill

The Wild penalty kill has been middle of the road in efficiency since March 1, ranking 14th, not far behind Dallas which was 9th during the stretch run. If the Stars enjoy an edge, there it is, a slight one. Frederick Gaudreau, with his new five-year contract extension, will be a critical figure on the penalty kill, especially if Eriksson-Ek is unavailable for any or all of the first round.

#

The Netminders

Since March 1 Dallas is second in the league in goals scored per game. So, it goes without saying that winning the goaltending battle in this series is going to be critical to the Wild's chances of success. But we'll say it anyway. Since March 1 the Wild are 7th in the NHL in goals allowed per game which speaks to their gritty team game. The question is what direction does Evason go in picking a Game 1 starter, future Hall of Famer Marc-Andre Fleury or the breakthrough netminder of the year, Filip Gustavsson? Gustavsson's numbers, especially in the latter half of the year, have been eye-popping. Overall his .931 save percentage was second in the league to Boston's Linus Ullmark among goalies with at least 30 appearances. Evason knows who he's going with in Game 1 but he wasn't sharing that information with reporters. "No, you can't know," Evason said with a chuckle. As for the thought process he said there are a variety of factors. "Exact same thing as from Game 1 of the regular season," he said. "We sit, we talk, we evaluate. We go through what they've done against that team. How they're playing now. There's so many factors that go into it. We don't roll the dice. Right? We're communicating with everybody in our room and hopefully, again as we just talked about (with) the other players, we make the right decision." He reiterated that regardless of whoever starts in Game 1 it doesn't preclude the other goaltender from appearing in the series. At the other end of the ice there is no debate about who will be tending goal for the Dallas Stars. Workhorse Jake Oettinger, born in Lakeville, Minnesota, continues to burnish his reputation as one of the top young netminders in the game. He finished tied for third in the league with 37 wins. His .919 save percentage was tied for 6th.

#

Spotlight On

Minnesota

No question the return of Kirill Kaprizov puts the Wild on a different plane in terms of its ability to generate offense and by extension forcing opponents into having to game plan against one of the most dynamic players in the league. But winning in the playoffs is about depth and about players seizing the moment. I had a conversation with Matt Boldy recently and he described the learning curve of playing in the playoffs and how he learned during last year's one-round playoff run just how different the playoff game is when it comes to generating scoring opportunities. It was Boldy, of course, who stepped into the void created by Kaprizov's absence and helped shoulder a significant offensive burden and kept the Wild in the hunt for top spot in the Central Division until the final days of the regular season. His ability to continue to elevate his game at this critical juncture may be a deciding factor in the series.

#

Dallas

Of course the trio of young stars, Robertson, Heiskanen and Oettinger puts Dallas in an enviable position not just now but for the future. And they aren't done there. Wyatt Johnston, selected 23rd overall in 2021, tied the league lead in goals among all first-year players with 24. He has fit nicely playing with Max Domi, acquired from Chicago at the trade deadline, and veteran Tyler Seguin.

#

Final Thoughts

"We left last year's playoffs disappointed in how we handled the situation, all of us. And we talked to ourselves and to each other about we have to be better when we get back there. We're back there. We have to be better. Obviously we lost the first round last year we have to be better in order to move on to the second round."
-Minnesota Wild Head Coach Dean Evason