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Game Day Guide: Stars vs Wild | Dallas Stars
First Shift 🏒
The Stars have a history of bouncing back quickly in the first two rounds of the playoffs.
In the past three seasons, Dallas is 14-1 after a loss in the first two rounds, and that’s a big reason it has made it to the Western Conference Final for three consecutive seasons.
“It’s just the guys knowing how to park it,” said Stars goalie Jake Oettinger. “I think we’ve done it enough, so it’s just part of who we are.”
Dallas has been a great response team for years. Former Stars forward Joe Pavelski pushed to not have consecutive losses at any point during the regular season, and that built a way of playing. Current players have carried that tradition and pushed for a mix of calm and intensity after a loss.
“We’ve been doing it as a group all year long,” said captain Jamie Benn. “Our group has been through a lot the last couple of years, so we have some good memories.”
The one time they lost two consecutive games, they still bounced back from an 0-2 hole to beat Vegas in seven games. Other than that, the team and Oettinger have come up with an answer quickly.
“Just play better, do more,” said defenseman Esa Lindell when asked how the team could improve after an overtime loss. “I thought we played pretty well, but we can be better.”
The Stars said they felt good about their effort in Game 4 – a 3-2 overtime loss. They had a 45-43 advantage in shots on goal, an 84-83 edge in shot attempts and a 32-29 advantage in faceoffs. Dallas scored twice on the power play and Minnesota scored three at even strength, and that is an area that will be studied.
But forward Rantanen said he was encouraged by his team’s chances.
“We just have to stick with it,” Rantanen said. “Both teams can defend, both teams can play offense. We need to find a couple of bounces in the 5-on-5 game and go to the net and get lucky.”
Defenseman Heiskanen said he felt good about Game 4.
“We played a solid game and could have won,” he said. “I think we played well 5-on-5, we just didn’t score. If we play the same way, it will come at some point.”
Dallas coach Glen Gulutzan echoed those sentiments. He will have to shuffle his defense pairs because Nils Lundkvist suffered a facial laceration in Game 4 and will not play Tuesday. However, when asked about making changes in his forward group, Gulutzan said among the options is keeping the lineup the same.
“Sometimes, success lags behind the good things you’re doing,” Gulutzan said. “Right now, we just have to keep doing things and take the next steps and hopefully we’ll get success.”
Trade deadline acquisition Michael Bunting has yet to play in the playoffs and veteran Adam Erne came out after Game 1, so they are eligible replacements. But it would be tough to take out a player like Colin Blackwell, Oskar Bäck or Arttu Hyry, because they have been playing well.
“When you look at all the metrics, we just need to take the next step. We just need to get to loose pucks, get some tips, that kind of thing. Everything else is there. But there is another step to it, something harder,” Gulutzan said. “We like where we are. There are certainly things we can do to create more offense, go to the net a little better and get to the tougher areas. Right now, you’re down to the last little tightening of the screws. After four games, teams know each other pretty good, so it becomes a little bit of a battle of wills.”
Minnesota understands. It battled back from a 2-1 deficit in the third period and then won in overtime in Game 4.
“We’ve been in a 2-2 series before, and we’ve got to play a really, really good, smart, detailed game in Dallas,” Wild forward Marcus Foligno told reporters in Minnesota on Monday. “I think the momentum of the game is something that we have to learn to control in Dallas, so all eyes are just on Game 5. I mean, you can’t look at Game 6 or 7, it’s got to be just, how can we win in Dallas for one game?”
The Stars have the same attitude. It’s worked in the past.
“You just move on and get to the next one,” said defenseman Heiskanen.
That easy?
“Yeah. That easy,” he said.
The Dallas Cowboys are not wasting any time adding to their roster once again after putting together a talented rookie class during the 2026 NFL Draft.
Dallas has now shifted its focus back to free agency, as the Cowboys signed two-time Super Bowl champion wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling to a one-year deal on Monday. Originally a member of the Green Bay Packers, “MVS” won two rings with the Kansas City Chiefs before journeying his way across the league the past two seasons.
The move gives Dallas a veteran wide receiver behind CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens while also adding championship experience to the roster. The Cowboys already lost Jalen Tolbert in free agency this offseason and only managed to add wide receiver Anthony Smith in the seventh round during the draft.
But Valdes-Scantling was just the start. After that news broke, the Cowboys showed that they are certainly not done with adding more free agents this offseason, making two additions at both wide receiver and linebacker.
More Help Coming for Dallas Cowboys at LB and WR
The Cowboys announced Monday that they have also signed former New York Jets wide receiver Tyler Johnson and former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Curtis Robinson to one-year deals.
Johnson, like Valdes-Scanlting, is a Super Bowl champion, having won a ring during his rookie season in 2020 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both players now bring some valuable veteran depth the offense and could find themselves in position to make some key plays down the stretch of next season.
In 61 career games in the regular season (13 starts), Johnson has tallied 88 catches for 1,025 yards and five touchdowns. He’s also appeared in six career playoff games, including Super Bowl LV. Across those six postseason contests, he posted seven catches for 76 yards.
Johnson also spent time with the Houston Texans and Los Angeles Rams.
As for Robinson, he now adds some much-needed depth at linebacker for the Cowboys, who recently traded for 49ers linebacker Dee Winters during the draft. The two of them will be reunited in Dallas after spending the past three seasons together in San Francisco.
In 29 games and three starts, Robinson has posted 52 total tackles (26 solo) and one pass breakup.
Cowboys fans will have to keep a close eye in the coming weeks to see if Dallas makes another flurry of moves in free agency.
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The Dallas Cowboys were able to draft players who will surely help this roster in this past weekend’s amateur haul. But as COO Stephen Jones continues to tell Cowboys’ fans, free agency is 24/7, and they are always looking to improve the roster. Well, now is the perfect time.
The draft is over, and players who were left in limbo before the draft may be more willing to take smaller deals to sign with a team. Dallas has an opportunity to bring in these veteran free agents, adding experience and talent to the roster. Here are four free agents the Cowboys should check in with and try signing after the draft.
Zamir White
Career Stats: 45 games, 198 rushes for 736 yards and 2 touchdowns, 25 receptions for 152 yardsFans shouldn’t let last year’s stat line fool them, White is an impressive running back who has been stuck behind a porous offensive line and highly drafted starting running backs the majority of his career. He’s sat behind , Josh Jacobs and Ashton Jeanty.
In 2023, he had a much larger role in the offense, and his production was a lot better. White would end the season with 451 yards on 104 carries, 15 receptions for 98 yards.
In Dallas, White would be running behind a much better offensive line and would be a nice complement to Javonte Williams, and give the Cowboys a receiving threat out of the backfield. Sometimes, a change of scenery can change a player’s career path. White could follow in Williams’ footsteps if he lands in Dallas.
Deebo Samuel
Career Stats: 406 receptions for 5,519 yards and 27 touchdowns, 219 carries for 1,218 yards and 21 touchdownsThe Cowboys’ experiment with KaVontae Turpin at receiver isn’t showing the results they’d hoped for on the field. If Dallas were to add Samuel, the plays they have for Turpin can still be utilized with Samuel. A proven dual-threat, Samuel would give this Cowboys offense one of the more dangerous underneath receivers in the league, especially with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens garnering more of the focus on the outside.Samuel was able to produce with the Washington Commanders last season, catching 72 passes for 727 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also had 17 carries for 75 yards and one touchdown, a decent stat line for a receiver who dealt with quarterback injuries throughout the season. With Dak Prescott under center, Samuel’s number could be even better than they were last season.
Rasul Douglas
Career Stats: 135 games, 503 total tackles, 21 interceptions, 92 passes defended, and 3 sacksA team can never have too many cornerbacks, especially when it’s the Cowboys, who last season had the worst secondary in the league. After a solid 2025 season with the Miami Dolphins, Douglas would be a welcome addition to the roster. Douglas has played in a Vic Fangio defense before, while in Miami, making his learning curve under Dallas’ defensive coordinator Christian Parker easier than that of other cornerbacks.He would also give this team another veteran in the secondary who has seen everything you can throw at a cornerback, who can help teach the younger cornerbacks in the room.
Bobby Wagner
Career Stats: 2,000 total tackles, 107 tackles for loss, 39.5 sacks, and 76 passes defendedThe ageless Bobby Wagner continues to defy the odds and produce at a high level in the NFL, despite his age. The reason Dallas would like to add Wagner is his football IQ and ability to teach and help on the field. A field general in the middle of this defense, and much like Douglas, Wagner has seen almost everything a linebacker could see thrown at them.While teaching the Cowboys’ new linebackers, he would boost their run defense, something Dallas is always looking for from the linebacker position.
If Dallas were to add any of these players, they would bring added production with them at positions where the Cowboys need improvement.
The Dallas Mavericks are searching for a new general manager/president of basketball operations after firing Nico Harrison in November. Team governor Patrick Dumont has set his sights high, looking for a premier target to take over the team. He was able to convince Hall of Famer Rick Welts to come out of retirement to be the CEO, and now he thinks he can do the same for this role.
The most commonly connected target has been Tim Connelly, the president of basketball operations of the Minnesota Timberwolves. He is still under contract, and he no longer has an out. However, according to the latest Stein Line, it is still possible he could be on the move.
“…While Connelly is said to no longer hold an opt-out provision in his current contract, belief persists in various league circles that there are scenarios that would render him ‘gettable’ once Minnesota’s 2025-26 season is complete.”
If he is attainable, it won’t be until after the Timberwolves’ playoff run ends. They’re currently up 3-1 on the Denver Nuggets, who Connelly previously helped build, but Anthony Edwards will be out for a few weeks with a bone bruise and hyperextension in his left knee, and Donte DiVincenzo tore his Achilles. Both of those injuries happened in Game 4, so even if they pull out the series, they may be overmatched in the next series.
What would make Connelly leave Minnesota, though? He’s built a team that has made two straight Western Conference Finals appearances. Considering the franchise had just one appearance in its existence prior to this run, it’s hard to ask for much more. Anthony Edwards is a young superstar, and he has a nearly perfect roster around him.
However, Cooper Flagg may just have that much draw to him. Even if the Mavericks don’t have a lot of valuable draft capital to help build the team around Flagg, a lot of executives would love the opportunity to build a team around him.
How Should Mavericks Fans Feel if Tim Connelly is the Choice?
Tim Connelly has made some risky trades in his time running the Timberwolves, sending out a massive haul to bring in Rudy Gobert, and also making the controversial Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo trade right before last season started.
You can’t deny his ability to build championship contenders, though. The Mavericks were a championship contender before the Luka Doncic trade, even beating Connelly’s Timberwolves to get to the NBA Finals, but they need a new rebuild around Cooper Flagg. With a lottery pick to pair with him this offseason, they have to make every decision correctly.
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