By: Chris Nosek
This matchup is one that many would like to see later in the bracket. However, both teams have questions and could lose in a first-round matchup, depending on their opponents. Dallas will likely be without Roope Hintz and Miro Heiskanen to start the series. This gives the Wild a chance to get an early lead. However, Quinn Hughes was out with an illness to end the regular season. We’ve seen illnesses that decimate a player’s ability to play, while others seemingly have no effect on them. It remains to be seen how this illness will affect Hughes.
I believe that the Wild hold the edge in goaltending, despite how many feel about Jake Oettinger. We all remember last season when he was pulled by Pete DeBoer in their final game. What goes under the radar is why he was pulled. Many blame his team around him. They certainly weren’t good; however, Oettinger was off his game by quite a bit. It seems that the larger the stakes get for him, the more he is early with his reads and often overcommits before a shot. He benefits greatly from his 6’6″ and 225-pound frame and is able to be in the way of a shot more often than not. However, Wallstedt (Minnesota’s confirmed starter) reads the play better, has a quicker and cleaner glove, and doesn’t get rattled in high-pressure situations.
Despite questions down the middle all season, the Wild still managed to see both Kirill Kaprizov (45) and Matt Boldy (42) score over 40 goals. Not to be outdone, Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston led the Stars by each having 45 goals themselves. The offenses of both teams were extremely similar. However, the Wild have a true shutdown pairing on defense with Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon. Nils Lundkvist’s health is a major factor, but he has since returned to the lineup. This means the player to watch in the series will be Mikko Rantanen. He only posted 77 points this season, but he missed 18 games. He posted 6 points in 5 games at the Olympics and 22 points last season for Dallas in its 18 playoff games. Overall, the teams are extremely even. However, the fact that Rantanen has been limited so much this season, and has been a gamebreaker in major games before, leads me to believe he can help the Stars win this series – but just barely.
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