It’s going to be one hell of a Stanley Cup Playoffs with plenty of exciting matchups. One of those matchups is the Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild showdown in the West. The Stars surprised plenty this season, clinching the best record in the West despite playing in a division with powerhouse teams St. Louis and Chicago. The Wild have regressed a lot, but remain dangerous especially with an excellent goalie in Devan Dubnyk.
Can the Wild stifle the Stars’ blistering offense? Or will Dallas finally rise as a Stanley Cup contender? Read on as the experts take a look at this Western Conference Playoff series.
Catch the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with our complete previews for Game 1 of the Wild vs. Stars and Blackhawks vs. Blues.
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Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild Series Experts Predictions
ESPN
| Expert | Prediction |
|---|---|
| Scott Burnside | Stars in five |
Scott Burnside of ESPN takes note of the Dallas’ and Minnesota’s respective strengths ahead of their first round matchup in the Western Conference Playoffs.
The Wild enter this series on the heels of five straight losses. Thankfully, it’s the playoffs which means there’s a clean slate for each of the 16 teams in the postseason. The Wild have a rather special goalie who could help keep Dallas’ offense in check. Devan Dubnyk has been pretty solid going 14-11-1 since the All-Star break with a .912 save percentage. He had a .927 save percentage in March.
Despite Minnesota’s advantage in goaltending, Burnside believes that the Stars will be too much for their opponents. Dallas should be able to dispatch of the overmatched Wild in five games.
Bleacher Report
| Expert | Prediction |
|---|---|
| Steve Silverman | Stars |
The Dallas Stars beat Nashville on Saturday, and couple with a St. Louis loss, won home ice advantage throughout the Western Conference Playoffs. The Stars meet the Minnesota Wild, who are entering the playoffs on a five-game losing streak.
Steve Silverman of Bleacher Report takes a quick look at this Stars vs. Wild matchup. He notes that the Wild could give Dallas some problems and a couple of losses. Ultimately, the Stars should win this series and advance into the semifinals. After all, they are the best team in the West by far.
CBS Sports
| Expert | Prediction |
|---|---|
| Adam Gretz | Stars in six |
| Chris Peters | Stars in five |
Adam Gretz and Chris Peters of CBS Sports agree that the Dallas Stars will brush off Minnesota with relative ease in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They see Minnesota as a team with the longest shot to get out of the first round considering how they limped into the playoffs, having lost five straight games. Gretz has the Stars winning the series in six, while Peters has them going 4-1.
Owners of the conference’s best record, the Dallas Stars have looked like a well-oiled offensive machine with or without Tyler Seguin. Expect the Stars to be led by Jamie Benn, who has been outstanding with 89 points, 41 goals and 48 assists—all team-highs. Benn has been a killer against the Wild this season, scoring nine points (three goals and six assists) in five matchups.
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