Mikko Rantanen and the Dallas Stars had a great game the other night in Winnipeg. Esa Lindell's surprising first-minute goal sparked the Stars' offense into overdrive. However, take the win with a grain of salt because Connor Hellebuyck didn't play due to injury. That win would have been a lot more impressive if Hellebuyck were starting in that game. However, a win is a win, and the Stars now move on to their final game on the road trip against the Minnesota Wild tonight.
Mikko Rantanen is on a tear right now in terms of helping his teammates and finding the back of the net. He set a franchise record for recording 60 points in his first 50 games with the Stars. No other player has been able to accomplish what Rantanen has done. He's going to be one of the leading players the Wild look to shut down tonight. Can the Stars keep their point streak alive by stealing two points from the Wild? Here are the four keys to the game against the Minnesota Wild tonight.
Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild Preview: 4. Deflate Gus the Bus
At least the Stars won't have to take on the Wall of St. Paul tonight. Instead, they will be going up against Filip Gustavsson, A.K.A Gus the Bus. The Stars have to deflate his tires early if they want to steal two points against the Wild tonight. The more shots he faces and saves, the more confident he will become, and he will be challenging to crack. The Stars need to get to him early and often tonight to deflate that confidence. Do that, and you are walking away with two points to keep the points streak alive.
Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild Preview: 3. Don't be afraid to keep scoring
The Stars decided to let their foot off the gas pedal after getting up 3-0 against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night. Mark Scheifele was able to cut the deficit to one goal going into the final frame of the game. The Stars must be content with scoring the puck tonight. The Wild have a great offense and have been one of the hottest teams in the Western Conference. They have to respect that offensive threat and keep scoring the puck, no matter what the score is tonight.
Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild Preview: 2. Shut down Kirill Kaprizov
The Stars need to do a good job of shutting down Kirill Kaprizov tonight if they want to win the game. He is their leading scorer heading into tonight's game with 18 goals and 15 assists. He also signed a big contract with the team, so you know the Wild are making him their franchise player. Thomas Harley and Miro Heiskanen will have the task of slowing him down tonight. If the Stars can shut him down and keep him away from Jake Oettinger, they will win the game tonight.
Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild Preview: 1. Don't stand in front of Jake Oettinger
The one thing that drives the Stars' fanbase crazy is our players allowing the oppoents to block Oettinger's vision of the blue line. A lot of goals that typically go in against Oettinger come from the Stars allowing their opponents to block his vision. The Stars have to do a great job of clearing the front of the net so he's able to see the puck clearly tonight. When Oettinger sees the puck clearly, he can prepare for any offense. Make him a happy Otter and the Stars can give their Otter boops after tonight's win.