Wild vs. Stars Odds
| Wild Odds | +130 |
| Stars Odds | -156 |
| Over/Under | 5.5 (-120/-104) |
| Time | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | TNT |
The Dallas Stars host the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday night as the second half of the NHL season continues to chug toward the postseason.
The Wild didn't get off to the start they wanted for the second half of the season as they let a third-period lead slip away on the road in Arizona and lost 3-2 to the Coyotes.
The Stars found a way to win in their first game following the break, but it wasn't exactly how they drew it up. They surrendered a two-goal lead against a much weaker Anaheim Ducks opponent, but they found a way to get the two points in the shootout.
The Wild have been struggling on the road lately, losing four straight as the away team and tonight they will face a very tough Dallas Stars team.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild haven't been lighting up the score sheet lately, tallying just 12 goals in their last five games. They aren't getting a ton of secondary scoring, but they are getting contributions from Kirill Kaprizov, Mats Zuccarello, Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek. Outside of these four players, this team has been struggling to put pucks in the back of the net.
As a team, the Wild are right in the middle of the pack when it comes to offensive production, averaging 3.04 goals per game. Their power play was looking excellent going into the All-Star Break, but they failed to convert on the four attempts they had on Monday night in Arizona.
Minnesota knows they are going to have to give a much better effort than when these two teams met back in December. The Stars completely dominated the Wild in Minnesota, so tonight they will try to seek revenge. That being said, the odds are a tad against them since Dallas has them outmatched in nearly every category.
The Wild confirmed that Filip Gustavsson will be the starter in this game and he is going to be close to perfect to beat the Stars at home. He has had a strong year in goal, but he is going to have to outperform his counterpart in Jake Oettinger.
Dallas Stars
The Stars have been very consistent for most of the season as they enter this game sitting in first place in the Central division. They haven't necessarily been at the top of their game lately, but I have so much faith in Oettinger to carry this team.
He has been one of the most impressive goaltenders this season, boasting a 22-7-0 record with a 2.25 goals against average and a .924 save percentage. He also has a +16.2 goals saved above expected.
Dallas has been so strong defensively all year long, skating to the second best goals against in the league, allowing just 2.56 per game. The blue line is going to make life very hard on the forwards for the Minnesota Wild, but the Stars also have a pretty strong edge in the special teams department.
The Stars have one of the best power plays and penalty kills in the NHL, currently sitting with the sixth best man advantage unit that is converting at a 25.0% and the second best penalty kill which is successful on 83.8% of their attempts.
They have been so good at home, I can't help but think that they have a massive advantage in this contest.
Wild vs. Stars Pick
When you look at the Minnesota Wild roster, there aren't a ton of names that necessarily jump out and scare you.
The Stars first line, made up of Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski, have formed quite the chemistry this season and they have looked solid in the team's last five games, combining for 10 points.
Dallas isn't necessarily a team that is beyond exciting to watch, but the Stars play a very good team game and they get the results. I have enjoyed watching this team play all season and Oettinger has looked just as good as any other netminder in the league.
I'm going to have to take the Stars at home in this one.
Pick: Stars -135 or Better |
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