Wild Warmup: Minnesota at Dallas

The Wild Warmup is introduced by Bryant Heating and Cooling

DALLAS — Following a two-game homestand towards Pacific Division foes, the Wild will bounce proper again into the Central meat grinder on Thursday evening when it performs the Dallas Stars at American Airways Heart.

The sport is the primary of a two-game journey towards divisional foes that concludes Saturday afternoon towards the St. Louis Blues. 

Minnesota enters the sport eight factors away from Dallas within the standings with one sport in hand, and a victory over the Stars would go an extended methods in direction of cementing its place forward of Dallas come the top of the common season.

The Stars at the moment maintain the second wild card place within the Western Convention, one level behind high wild card Nashville.

The Wild can be trying to even the season sequence towards their Lone State rivals. Minnesota throttled Dallas 7-2 within the first assembly of the yr at Xcel Vitality Heart again in October, however as seen the tables turned in every of the previous two conferences, with the Stars scoring multi-goal victories at American Airways Heart on Dec. 20 and in St. Paul final month. 

It will additionally assist construct confidence because the postseason attracts nearer, and these Central battles grow to be extra pronounced. 

The Wild has 14 wins towards the Metropolitan Division (16 video games) and 13 versus the Pacific (20 video games), however has only a 10-9-2 file towards groups within the Central to this point.

The sport Thursday towards Dallas is certainly one of simply 4 left on the Wild’s schedule that may come contained in the Central earlier than the beginning of the postseason. 

Most significantly, the highway journey may help transfer the Wild nearer to staking its declare for a First Spherical dwelling sequence. 

Minnesota begins the day Wednesday tied with the Blues with 96 factors, however in second place due to the sport in hand it has on St. Louis. 

Ought to these groups meet within the postseason, the upper seed would host Video games 1 and a couple of, in addition to a possible Sport 7. 

Minnesota has among the best dwelling information within the NHL this season, with its 26-7-2 file rating as third-best within the league. 

“All people desires that. All of the groups need that Sport 7, if there’s a Sport 7, at dwelling,” mentioned Wild ahead Kevin Fiala. “That is an enormous benefit, so we need to get as many wins as doable and get as excessive as doable within the standings.”

Whereas the Wild’s main focus is discovering a technique to dwelling ice within the First Spherical, the Stars principal goal is to carry off the handful of groups chasing them and the Predators for the 2 Western Convention wild card positions.

Vegas, Vancouver and Winnipeg stay inside putting distance, and will the Kings proceed to falter within the Pacific, they could possibly be within the combine too. 

Dallas has factors in 4 of its previous 5 and is coming off a 1-0 win over the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning, Tuesday evening on the AAC. 

Six of Dallas’ 9 remaining video games will come on dwelling ice, together with a four-game homestand to complete the common season. Minnesota is the one remaining crew on Dallas’ dwelling schedule that at the moment sits inside a playoff spot.

The Stars are led offensively by All-Star ahead Joe Pavelski’s 46 assists and 73 factors. Jason Robertson has a crew excessive 34 objectives and Roope Hintz is correct behind him with 32 objectives. 

Jake Oettinger, a Lakeville native, has been excellent this season, posting a 26-13-1 file in 40 begins with a 2.53 objectives towards and .914 save proportion.

Scott Wedgewood, making his fourth begin since being acquired by the Stars, made 25 saves within the win over Tampa Bay on Tuesday.