Dallas Stars: First Round Series Breakdown

The matchups are set and it’s time for the NHL playoffs to begin. Take a deeper look at the first round series between the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild.

The Dallas Stars finished their regular season with an incredible record of 50-23-9, collecting 109 points along the way. That was good enough to help them win the Central Division and the Western Conference.

After sealing the deal Saturday night, thanks to a hat trick from Jason Spezza, the Stars learned that their first opponent of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs would be the Minnesota Wild.

Before we jump into the postseason series itself, let’s take a look at what happened during the regular season between these two:

• Nov. 14: Stars win 3-2 in OT
• Nov. 28: Stars win 4-3 in OT
• Dec. 21: Stars win 6-3
• Jan. 9: Wild win 2-1
• Feb. 9: Stars win 4-3 in OT

As you can see from the results above, the Stars won the series 4-1, but it certainly was not easy. In three out of their four wins, the Stars had to come from behind to win the game and in all four wins, the game was tied at some point.

The most notable game of the series came on Nov. 28, when the Stars trailed 3-0 with just 15:03 left in the game. They were able to get goals from Alex Goligoski, Jamie Benn and John Klingberg before Tyler Seguin netted the game-winner late in overtime.

Now, let’s transition to the more important series that lies ahead. There are a few key topics that need to be analyzed before the series starts.

Offense: The Stars’ offense is the best in the league, as the the team averages 3.23 goals per game. On the other side of things the Wild are 18th, with an average of just 2.60 goals per game. In terms of players, the title of most goals for the Wild belongs to Zach Parise (25), while the Stars have three players with at least 30 goals: Jamie Benn (41), Tyler Seguin (33) and Jason Spezza (33).

Defense: The Wild bank on goaltender Devan Dubnyk to do the heavy lifting for their team as he has a .918 save percentage in 67 games played this season. The Stars, on the other hand use their duo of Kari Lehtonen (.906) and Antti Niemi (.905). Both teams have an elite defenseman as John Klingberg and Ryan Suter both broke the 50-point and 40-assist plateau.

Special Teams: The Stars were able to work themselves back into the top-10 on the penalty kill leaderboard with great success in the last month of the season. As for the Wild, they have just the 27th-best penalty kill in the entire NHL. The Stars also have a much better power play with a percentage of 22.1 compared to the percentage of 18.5 for the Wild.

Injuries: The Stars could be without a couple of key players as Tyler Seguin and Mattias Janmark continue to heal from injuries. Both have begun skating already, but it’s unclear as to if they will play in Game 1 or not. The Wild could also be without a couple of important players as Zach Parise and Erik Haula could miss some time.

What To Expect: This series could be a lot closer than the five-game series that many believe it could turn into. If you don’t believe me, go back and watch a few of the 2015-16 contests between the two teams. They are all highly competitive with the best players on each team thriving.

Both teams have plenty of forwards to get by, so the real factor in who wins is going to be the defense on both sides. The Stars have yet to name a starting goalie for Game 1, and it remains to be seen as to if their two-goalie system will work in the playoffs or not. On the bright side, they could have some of the best defensive pairings they’ve had all season as Jason Demers has finally healed up and Kris Russell is back into the lineup.

Dubnyk, of the Wild, has only played in 10 playoff games in his career with four wins and six losses. Other than goaltending, the Wild have a nice core of blue liners in Ryan Suter, Jared Spurgeon, Marco Scandella and Jonas Brodin who have been to the playoffs each of the last three seasons for the team.

Here’s what the schedule for the series looks like (via NHL.com):

• Game 1: Thursday, April 14 at 8:30 P.M. CT (Dallas)
• Game 2: Saturday, April 16 at 7:00 P.M. CT (Dallas)
• Game 3: Monday, April 18 at 7:30 P.M. CT (Minnesota)
• Game 4: Wednesday, April 20 at 8:30 P.M. CT (Minnesota)
• Game 5: Friday, April 22 if necessary, (Dallas)
• Game 6: Sunday, April 24 if necessary, (Minnesota)
• Game 7: Tuesday, April 26 if necessary, (Dallas)

More dfw sports: Stars Surge To Division Title, Top Seed In West

It’s no secret that these two teams know each other well. Overall, look for a physical series, as a divisional rivalry creates a different kind of atmosphere.