Stars GameDay: Dallas set to take on Minnesota in Game 1 of first-round series
Wild at Stars
8:30 p.m. Thursday, American Airlines Center, Dallas
TV: FSSW, NBCSN Radio: KTCK/1310 AM and 96.7 FM
Records: Wild 38-33-11, 87 pts.; Stars 50-23-9, 109 pts.
About the Wild: Minnesota has made the playoffs in each of the past four seasons, advancing past the first round the past two seasons. Both times, the Wild defeated the Central Division champions to get to the second round. … Minnesota lost four of five meetings against the Stars this season, including three in overtime. …The Wild will be without forward Zach Parise, who will miss at least Games 1 and 2 due to an upper-body injury. Parise led the team with 25 goals this season. … Forward Erik Haula also will miss Game 1, but is with the team and appears to be progressing from his lower-body injury. … Forward Thomas Vanek (18 goals) missed the final three games of the regular season with an upper-body injury and is not expected to return during this series.
About the Stars: Dallas finished the regular season by winning nine of its final 11 games to win the Central Division and clinch home-ice advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs. ... The Stars are in the playoffs for only the second time in eight years. They were eliminated in the first round two years ago by Anaheim in six games. … Dallas enters the postseason as the highest scoring team in the league. The Stars feature three 30-goal scorers in Jamie Benn, Jason Spezza and Tyler Seguin, who was cleared to play in the series opener after missing the final 10 games of the regular season with a cut Achilles tendon. Also cleared to play was Mattias Janmark, who missed the final three games with an upper-body injury. Both Seguin and Janmark will be game-time decisions.
This story was originally published April 13, 2016 at 7:49 PM with the headline "Stars GameDay: Dallas set to take on Minnesota in Game 1 of first-round series."