Faceoff is scheduled for 9:00 PM ET (8:00 PM CT)
Venue: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas (home of the Stars; capacity ~18,500)
Broadcast: ESPN+ / Hulu (U.S.); available via NHL streams internationally.
This Central Division showdown pits two locked-in playoff teams with nearly identical records but contrasting momentum. The visiting Wild arrive on a four-game win streak and riding high-scoring form, while the host Stars are playing for home-ice advantage in the division and enter with a depleted forward group due to multiple key injuries.
Recent Team Forms (Last 5–10 Games)
Wild (7-3-0 in last 10; 4-0-0 in last 4 – surging):
Apr 7: W 5-2 vs. Seattle Kraken
Apr 5: W 5-4 @ Detroit Red Wings
Apr 4: W 4-1 @ Ottawa Senators
Apr 2: W 5-2 vs. Vancouver Canucks
Mar 28/earlier: Strong stretch with consistent offense and timely goaltending.
Stars (5-5-0 in last 10; 2-3-0 in last 5 – streaky):
Apr 7: W 4-3 (OT) vs. Calgary Flames
Apr 4: L 0-2 vs. Colorado Avalanche
Apr 2: W 3-0 vs. Winnipeg Jets
Mar 31: L 3-6 @ Boston Bruins
Mar 29: L 1-2 @ Philadelphia Flyers
They have shown defensive solidity in wins but have been inconsistent offensively of late.
Injury Report
Wild (minimal impact):
Zach Bogosian (D) – Day-to-day (lower body/undisclosed)
Charlie Stramel (C) – Out (long-term/ankle)
Stars (significant forward depth losses):
Tyler Seguin (C) – Out for season (torn ACL)
Radek Faksa (C) – IR (lower body; out until at least Apr 9)
Michael Bunting (LW) – Out until at least Apr 11 (lower body)
Sam Steel (C) – Out until at least Apr 15 (hip)
Roope Hintz (C) – Out until at least Apr 15
Nathan Bastian (RW) – Out until May 4 (hand)
Dallas is especially thin up front, forcing heavier minutes for stars like Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston.
Key Player Matchups
Elite Wingers: Kirill Kaprizov (MIN, recent multi-point games) & Matt Boldy vs. Jason Robertson (DAL) & Wyatt Johnston (hot streak, OT winner Apr 7). Kaprizov has been a difference-maker in the Wild’s win streak.
Center/Secondary Battle: Joel Eriksson Ek (MIN, three-point night Apr 7) vs. Jamie Benn / limited depth options for Dallas.
Goaltending: Filip Gustavsson or Jesper Wallstedt (MIN, strong in recent wins) vs. Jake Oettinger (DAL, .910+ SV% in key spots). Oettinger has historically performed well at home.
Defense/Secondary: Wild’s physical blue line (even without Bogosian) vs. Stars’ Miro Heiskanen-led group; special teams and net-front presence will be critical given Dallas’ injuries.
Series History
2025-26 Season: Competitive split (exact results show Wild and Stars each winning key matchups; Dallas holds a slight edge in most recent head-to-heads).
All-Time: Stars have the historical advantage, but the Wild have been competitive in recent seasons, including strong road performances against Dallas.
Betting Trends
Wild are 4-0 SU and strong ATS on their current streak; Stars are 4-1 ATS in last 5 but have struggled with forward injuries. Overs have hit in several Wild road games, but Stars’ home defensive structure (and depleted Stars attack) points to a lower-scoring contest. Wild perform well as slight road dogs in divisional games.
Game Odds
Minnesota Wild 6.5
Dallas Stars – 125
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, April 8, 2026
