MINNESOTA WILD NOTES:
SERIES NOTES
DALLAS STARS
All-Time Wild Record: 36-36-13 (23-13-5 at Xcel Energy Center, 13-23-8 at Dallas)
2023-23: The Wild is 1-1-0 in the season series with the Stars… Minnesota won the series opening game at American Airlines Center, 6-5, in a shootout (12/4)…Dallas earned a 4-1 victory at Xcel Energy Center in the second game (12/29)… LW Kirill Kaprizov (2-0=2), D Jared Spurgeon (0-2=2) and RW Ryan Reaves (0-2=2) lead Minnesota with two points each…C Connor Dewar (1-0=1), C Joel Eriksson Ek (1-0=1), LW Jordan Greenway (1-0=1), and D Jake Middleton (1-0=1) have all scored goals…G Marc-Andre Fleury is 1-1-0 with a 3.87 GAA and a .896 SV% in two starts for the Wild…C Roope Hintz leads Dallas with five points (3-2=5)…C Joe Pavelski (0-3=3) and LW Jason Robertson (1-2=3) each have two points…G Jake Oettinger is 1-0-0 with a 3.01 GAA and a .875 SV% in two starts for Dallas…G Scott Wedgewood entered during the first game (12/4) and stopped 14 of 15 shots faced, earning the loss.
WILD LEADERS: Spurgeon leads Minnesota with 19 points (6-13=19) in 40 contests against Dallas…RW Mats Zuccarello owns 18 points (3-15=18) in 21 games against Dallas…C Ryan Hartman has 14 points (7-7=14) in 25 matches…D Matt Dumba owns 12 points (6-6=12) in 28 games.
WILD GOALIES: Fleury is 13-6-1 with a 2.18 GAA, a .927 SV% and one shutout in 20 games played (20 starts) vs. the Stars…G Filip Gustavsson is 2-0-0 with a 1.50 GAA and a .959 SV% in two starts.
STARS LEADERS: Pavelski (21-23=44 in 51 matches) and C Tyler Seguin (18-26=44 in 39 matches) each own 44 points to lead Dallas against Minnesota…LW Jamie Benn has 43 points (18-25=43) in 50 games… Hintz has 13 points (6-7=12) in 14 contests.
STARS GOALIES: Oettinger is 3-0-0 with a 3.19 GAA and a .878 SV% in five career games (four starts)…Wedgewood is 0-1-2 with a 3.25 GAA and a .887 SV% in four games (two starts).
FAST FACTS: Minnesota is 18-11-5 in its last 34 games against Dallas…The Wild is 12-5-3 in the last 20 games against the Stars at Xcel Energy
Center…Minnesota has points in 11 of the last 18 games (9-7-2) played at American Airlines Center…Minnesota was defeated by Dallas in six games in the 2016 First Round.
FINDING THEIR GROOVE
HOME SWEET HOME
• Since Oct. 25, the Wild is eighth in the NHL with 26 wins and 11th with 55 points.
• Since Oct. 25, Minnesota is giving up 2.55 goals per game (third in the NHL), allowing 29.6 shots per game (eighth in the NHL) and recording a .914 save percentage (tied for seventh in the NHL).
ON THE POWER PLAY
• The Wild have converted 30.1 percent (22 of 73) of power-play opportunities at home this season, third-best in the NHL.
• Minnesota recorded a power-play goal in a season-high six consecutive games from Nov. 23 – Dec. 4, going eight-for-19 (42.1 pct.) during that span. The streak tied for the fifth-longest in franchise history.
PENALTY KILLERS
• Since Nov. 8, Minnesota is ninth in the NHL with a 81.3 penaltykill percentage (109 for 134).
• Minnesota is tied for fifth in the NHL with a 81.9 penalty-kill percentage (77 of 94) on the road this season.
SHORT (HANDED) KINGS
• Minnesota is third in the NHL with eight shorthanded goals this season.
• The total is tied for the highest in franchise history through a season’s first 49 games (eight SHG in 2001-02 and 2006-07 seasons).
• Minnesota has not eclipsed eight shorthanded goals in season since recording nine during the 2008-09 campaign.
DALLAS STARS NOTES:
LAST DALLAS STARS GAME
Feb. 6, 2023 – STARS 3 vs. DUCKS 2 (shootout)
In captain Jamie Benn’s 1,000th career regular-season game, the Stars pulled off a 3-2 shootout victory over the Anaheim Ducks in front of 18,145 at American Airlines Center on Monday. Dallas jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals from defenseman Nils Lundkvist (1-0—1) and forward Roope Hintz (1-0—1) in the first and second periods, respectively. Forwards Radek Faksa (0-1—1) and Mason Marchment (0-1—1) recorded assists on Lundkvist’s goal, while forwards Denis Gurianov (0-1—1) and Jason Robertson (0-1—1) tacked on helpers on Hintz’ tally. The Ducks answered back with two goals in a span of 1:26 in the third period, but the Stars hung on in overtime (killing off a 4-on-3 in the process) and scored twice in three rounds of the shootout (Robertson and Tyler Seguin), while goaltender Jake Oettinger (32 saves) stopped two of three to ensure the extra point. With the win, the Stars extended their point streak to six consecutive games (3-0-3) and remain atop the Central Division with 68 points (29-13-10). PP: 0-5 | PK: 3-4 | SF: 41 | SA: 34 | DAL TOI: Heiskanen (28:53 – game high) | Attendance: 18,145
Three Stars: 1. DAL – J. Benn 2. DAL – J. Robertson 3. ANA – J. Gibson
UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time (CT) Location TV/Radio
Wed., Feb. 8, 2023 Minnesota Wild 7:30 p.m. American Airlines Center TNT/KTCK
Sat., Feb. 11, 2023 Tampa Bay Lightning 12 p.m. American Airlines Center ABC/KTCK
Tue., Feb. 14, 2023 Boston Bruins 7:30 p.m. American Airlines Center BSSW/KTCK
Fri., Feb. 17, 2023 Minnesota Wild 7 p.m. Xcel Energy Center BSSW/KTCK
Sat., Feb. 18, 2023 Columbus Blue Jackets 5 p.m. American Airlines Center BSSW/KTCK
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Jan. 1 – Signed forward Joe Pavelski to a one-year contract extension through the 2023-24 season
Jan. 2 – Recalled forward Fredrik Olofsson from Texas (AHL)
Jan. 16 – Loaned forward Nick Caamano to Texas (AHL)
Jan. 24 – Loaned forward Fredrik Olofsson to Texas (AHL)
Feb. 8 – Recalled forward Marian Studenic from Texas (AHL)
INJURIES
Man-games lost, 2022-23: 21
NAME INJURY # OF GAMES DATES
D Miro Heiskanen Upper body 3 Oct. 25-29
G Jake Oettinger Lower body 4 Nov. 1-8
F Denis Gurianov Upper body 6 Nov. 11-21
F Roope Hintz Lower body 1 Nov. 19
F Roope Hintz Upper body 7 Jan. 10-21
DALLAS STARS NOTES
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Stars continue their homestand tonight against the Minnesota Wild at American Airlines Center. (7:30 p.m. CT, TV: TNT, Radio: The Ticket 96.7-FM/1310-AM). This is the second game of four in a row at home coming out of the break, while it’s also a stretch that sees the Stars play eight consecutive contests at AAC. This is the third of four meetings between the Stars and Wild and the final contest in Dallas. They’ll wrap up the four-game set in nine days in St. Paul.
MY SOURCES SAY THE ROADS ARE CLEAR AND STREET SIGNS POINT THE WAY
- The Stars are 1-0-1 against the Wild this season, losing 6-5 in a shootout on Dec. 4, 2022 at American Airlines Center and winning 4-1 at Xcel Energy Center on Dec. 29, 2022.
- Dallas is 48-28-9 all-time vs. Minnesota, including a 30-8-6 mark at home.
- Forward Roope Hintz (3-1—4) recorded his second career hat trick and tied his career high for points in a game in the series opener on Dec. 4, 2022 accounting for four of his five points in two games against them this season.
- Hintz has 13 points (6-7—13) in 14 career games vs. Minnesota.
- Forward Jason Robertson has a goal and three points (1-2—3) in two games against the Wild this season and 10 points (6-4—10) in six career contests against them.
- Forward Tyler Seguin (2-0—2) potted two goals in Dallas’ 4-1 victory on Dec. 29, 2022 at Xcel Energy Center. Among active Stars, Seguin ranks first in assists (26), co-leads in points (18-26—44) and shares second in goals (18) in 39 career games vs. the Wild. He paces the club in shots on goal (167) and shares second in game-winning tallies (3).
- Forward Joe Pavelski (0-3—3) assisted on three of Dallas’ four third-period goals in the game on Dec. 4, 2022 to match the franchise record for most in a single period – a feat last achieved by Tyler Seguin on April 2, 2022 (0-3—3 in the first period).
- Pavelski leads active Stars in goals (21), co-leads in points (21-23—44) and ranks third in assists (23) in a team-high 51 games against Minnesota. Six of his 21 goals have come on the power play, tied for first on the club.
- Captain Jamie Benn (1-0—1) lit the lamp in the most recent contest between these clubs. Benn ranks second in assists (25), shares second in goals (18) and ranks third in points (18-25—43) in 50 career games against Minnesota. Benn also paces the club in game-winning markers (4) and is one of three players on the active roster with a shorthanded goal against them (also Radek Faksa and Esa Lindell).
- Forward Mason Marchment (1-1—2) recorded a multi-point performance in the Stars’ shootout loss against Minnesota on Dec. 4, 2022. Marchment has four goals and five points (4-1—5) in just three career games against the Wild.
- Defenseman Miro Heiskanen enters tonight’s game with 10 points (1-9—10) in 13 career contests vs. Minnesota.
- Defenseman Colin Miller (0-1—1) picked up an assist in the series opener against Minnesota and has seven points (all assists) in 12 career games against them.
- Lakeville, Minnesota native Jake Oettinger is 3-0-0 with a 3.19 goals-against average and .878 save percentage in five career appearances against Minnesota.
- Goaltender Scott Wedgewood is 0-1-2 with a 3.29 GAA and .897 SV% in four career appearances vs. the Wild.
2022-23 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
Dec. 4 vs. Minnesota – L, 6-5 (shootout)
Dec. 29 at Minnesota – W, 4-1
Feb. 8 vs. Minnesota
Feb. 17 at Minnesota
