It would be one thing if Dallas had lost Saturday's Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against Minnesota by being completely dominated. And while it might appear that was the case when looking at the 6-1 final score, the Wild didn't play all that special.
The Stars were just putrid.
Not even six minutes into the game, and it was clear Dallas wasn't going to win. The Wild's first goal, a power-play tally from Joel Eriksson-Ek, made the Stars' penalty kill look silly. More apt: the Stars looked silly trying to defend it. Colin Blackwell, who ultimately skated just 11:03 of ice time, chased the puck around the point so flailingly that the Wild sent it down below the goal line to Matt Boldy, who was well out of position to cover the slot. Boldy needed to get the pass through Miro Heiskanen to his open center all alone. Done and done.
Dallas managed just eight shots in the first period and somehow played even worse in the second. Minnesota scored the next three goals, too, all in the span of 5:34 early in the period. About nine minutes after Boldy made it 4-0 for the Wild, Jason Robertson's backhand ensured the Stars avoided a shutout. But at that point, less than 25 minutes remained in the game.
Things grew so frustrating for the home team that Matt Duchene, playing in his 70th career playoff game, grew animated and demonstrative when he was tossed from the face-off circle late in the third period. A normal event made Dutchy livid, a clear sign of self-disappointment. That said, probably not for himself. Duchene was one of the few Stars skaters who looked ready to play.
stankoven > rantanen definitively
— z - 873v37 (@873v37) April 19, 2026
Mikko Rantanen didn't. The Stars' postseason hero last year finished with just two goals and six assists in Dallas' final 10 games. For a middle-six player, those aren't bad numbers. For a guy considered one of the top five wingers in the sport, they were concerning. More concerning was his lack of fire against the Wild. On at least two shifts, Rantanen ended up the last player back into his own zone after the Wild cleared theirs. Both resulted in solid Minnesota chances as Rantanen looked casual crossing back over his own blue line.
The good news - if you want, any, as I'm not sure I do - is that it's just one game. Hockey isn't soccer. The winner doesn't advance on aggregate goal totals. But if Monday's Game 2 doesn't look a whole heck of a lot better, the Stars can kiss a fourth straight Western Conference Finals trip goodbye. Minnesota didn't even play its A-game. You know it's coming at some point.
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