The Dallas Stars capitalized on home ice Monday night, defeating the Minnesota Wild 4–2 in Game 2 of their first-round NHL playoff series at American Airlines Center. Dallas used a balanced attack and timely goaltending to even the series, responding after a devastating loss in the opener.
Dallas struck first midway through the opening period when Jason Robertson finished a cross-ice feed on the power play, snapping a shot past Minnesota goaltender Filip Gustavsson at 11:42. The Wild answered late in the frame, as Kirill Kaprizov converted off a rush chance to tie the game 1–1 heading into intermission.
The second period tilted in Dallas’ favor. Roope Hintz restored the lead at 6:18, redirecting a point shot through traffic, and Joe Pavelski extended it to 3–1 with another net-front deflection on a man advantage at 14:03. Minnesota struggled to generate sustained pressure during the middle frame, managing just seven shots.
In the third, the Wild pushed back. Joel Eriksson Ek cut the deficit to one at 8:27, finishing a rebound chance to make it 3–2. However, Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger turned aside several key chances down the stretch, including a late glove save on Kaprizov during a 6-on-5 sequence. Miro Heiskanen sealed the result with an empty-net goal at 19:11.
Final Score: Stars 4, Wild 2
Shots on Goal:
Dallas 32 — Minnesota 27
Power Plays:
Dallas 2-for-4 — Minnesota 0-for-3
Goaltenders:
Oettinger (DAL): 25 saves on 27 shots
Gustavsson (MIN): 28 saves on 31 shots
Three Stars:
- Roope Hintz (DAL) — 1 goal, 1 assist
- Joe Pavelski (DAL) — 1 goal, net-front presence
- Kirill Kaprizov (MIN) — 1 goal, 5 shots
The series now shifts to Saint Paul, Minnesota for Game 3, with both teams seeking to seize momentum in what has quickly developed into a tightly contested matchup.
