Trent Reinsmith
- The Dallas Stars enter the 2023 NHL playoffs on a six-game winning streak.
- The Minnesota Wild dropped their last two games of the 2023 NHL regular season.
- Dallas and Minnesota have two of the best goaltenders in the NHL.
The Dallas Stars fell just shy of winning the Western Conference’s Central Divison in 2023. Dallas finished the 2023 NHL regular season with a 47-21-14 record, which put them one point behind the division-winning Colorado Avalanche, who racked up 109 points with a 51-24-7 record on the year. The Stars open the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs with a matchup against the Minnesota Wild, who finished the 2023 NHL campaign one spot behind the Stars in the Central Division with a 46-25-11 record.
Dallas is one of the hotter teams heading into the 2023 NHL playoffs. The team finished the season on a six-game winning streak and were 8-2 in their final 10 games of the season. Meanwhile, Minnesota lost its final two games of the year and went 5-3-2 in its final 10 regular season outings.
Before we look at the first-round matchup of the 2023 NHL Western Conference playoffs between the Dallas Stars and the Minnesota Wild, check out our guide to betting on the 2023 Stanley Cup and our tips for betting on the NHL.
Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild betting picks for NHL Western Conference Playoff Series
| To Win First Round NHL Western Conference Playoff Series |  |  |  |
| Minnesota Wild | +120 | +120 | +115 |
| Dallas Stars | -140 | -140 | -135 |
Dallas Stars betting breakdown
The Dallas Stars finished the 2023 NHL season with a 22-10-9 home record. As for their time on the road, the Stars were 25-11-5 on the year. On the offensive side of the goal-scoring ledger, the Stars put the puck in the net 285 times and allowed 218 goals against for a goal differential of +67.
The Stars’ second-round pick of the 2017 draft, Jason Robertson, had a breakout year for the team in 2023. The 23-year-old played in all 82 games and set career highs in points (109), goals (46) and assists (63). Robertson led the Stars in each of those stats for the year. Dallas also received goal scoring help from Roope Hintz (37), Jamie Benn (33), Joe Pavelski (28), Wyatt Johnston (24), and Tyler Seguin (21).
Jake Oettinger heads into the 2023 NHL playoffs on a bit of a hot streak. The Stars’ goaltender finished the year on a 7-1-0 run with a .942 save percentage over those games. He earned his fifth shutout of the year in his final start of the year.
Minnesota Wild betting breakdown
The Minnesota Wild wrapped up the 2023 NHL regular season with a 25-12-4 record at home while going 21-13-7 on the road. Minnesota had 246 goals scored on the year and allowed 225 goals for a differential of +21.
Despite playing in 14 fewer games this season, Kirill Kaprizov once again led the Minnesota Wild in points (75) and goals (40), which was short of his 47 goals and 108 points in 2022. Matt Boldy was the only player other than Kaprizov to score 30 or more goals this season (31), while Joel Ericksson Ek, and Mats Zuccarello contributed more than 20 goals apiece.
The Wild have choices in net for the playoffs, but it’s likely that Filip Gustavsson will get the nod for Game 1 over Marc-Andre Fleury. Gustavsson has better numbers than nit teammate, finishing the season with a 22-9-7 record, a save percentage of .931 and a goals against average of 2.10.
2023 NHL Regular Season: Head-to-Head
The Stars and the Wild met four times during the 2023 NHL regular season, and the teams split that series 2-2. However, both of Minnesota’s wins came in the shootout. In contrast, the Stars defeated the Wild 4-1 in regulation on two occasions.
Stars vs. Wild Playoff Series Schedule
Game 1 (at DAL): April 17, 9:30 ET (ESPN2)
Game 2 (at DAL): April 19, 9:30 ET (ESPN2)
Game 3 (at MIN): April 21, 9:30 ET (TBS)
Game 4 (at MIN): April 23, 6:30 ET (TBS)
Game 5* (at DAL): April 25, TBD
Game 6* (at MIN): April 28, TBD
Game 7* (at DAL): April 30, TBD
*if necessary
Best bets for the Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild Playoff Series
The Stars have outstanding special teams, and their goaltender is riding a hot streak heading into the playoff. Conversely, the Wild have a goalie who can steal a series for them. As for overall team chemistry, the Stars have a good mix of experience and youth and are relatively healthy heading into the first round of the 2023 NHL playoffs. The same cannot be said of the Wild, who will be missing Eriksspon Ek. The best bet for this Western Conference playoff series is to pick the Stars to win in six games.
Pick: Dallas Stars to beat Minnesota Wild in six games.
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