Stars sit in comfortable position after fiery, playoff-atmosphere win over Minnesota Wild
In a preview of their impending playoff matchup, the Stars took down the Wild to move a step closer to home-ice advantage.
Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild players tussle after a goal by Stars center Colin Blackwell during the second period of an NHL hockey game at American Airlines Center on Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Dallas. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News) In a must-win game where the Stars needed their penalty kill to step up against their soon-to-be playoff opponent , losing Miro Heiskanen early was no recipe for success.
The Stars’ top defenseman and second-leading skater in PK minutes this season took a hit from Wild centerman Ryan Hartman with under four minutes to play in the first period, suffered a lower-body injury and never returned. Following his exit, the Stars’ penalty kill took the ice five times and allowed three goals to fall behind entering the third period. But down one superstar, Dallas’ others stepped up in crunch time.
Mikko Rantanen and Jason Robertson scored goals in the third period to lift Dallas to a 5-4 win over the Wild. RELATED: 5 things to know about the Stars-Wild series in Round 1 The Stars’ penalty kill also then came up clutch when Rantanen took a slashing penalty with 2:30 left in regulation, and the Wild pulled goaltender Filip Gustavsson to make it 6-on-4 and try to tie the game. The two points were critical for either team in the battle for home-ice advantage.
Dallas and Minnesota were locked in as first-round opponents Tuesday, but where the series starts remains up for grabs. The Stars now sit four points ahead of Minnesota with just three games remaining. Dallas also holds the tiebreaker of regulation wins, so the Stars can clinch home-ice advantage in the first round with a win over the New York Rangers Saturday afternoon.