The Minnesota Wild (46-25-11) visit the Dallas Stars (47-21-14) on Monday for Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinals. Puck drop from American Airlines Center is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Wild vs. Stars odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Wild stumbled down the stretch, posting a 2-3-2 mark in the final 7 games. That might not seem like a big deal, but Minnesota was in the mix for the Central Division until the final few games. Instead of winning the division, it not only didn’t finish 1st, it fell to 3rd, losing home-ice advantage in this opening series.
The Stars missed out on the Central Division title by a single point. Dallas won each of its final 4 regular-season games, while going 7-3 in the final 10 games against winning teams. The Stars won 6 in a row to close out the season, too.
These teams split the 4 regular-season meetings, with the home team winning the final 2 battles. The Under cashed in the final 3 meetings, too, and 2 of the games were decided by 1 goal.