Well, that did not go the way I was expecting this afternoon. I thought the Stars would make it a game like the 5-4 win they had over the Wild a couple of weeks ago, but I was dead wrong. You had fans on social media asking if Mikko Rantanen showed up to the rink this afternoon. It was like the team decided to sniff a fire hydrant for 60 minutes this afternoon. In the end, the Dallas Stars got run over by a Minnesota Wild train, 6-1. That's not how you make a first impression on the national stage.
I really don't even know where to begin on our postgame article tonight because the Stars showed up so badly this afternoon. The only thing the Stars got right was the amazing pregame video. The Stars are in an uphill battle going into Game 2 against the Wild on Monday night. It's not going to be pretty going down 2-0, heading up north. Dallas needs to show up on Monday or else it's going to be a long offseason for Stars fans. Here are the four takeaways from today's action at the AAC.
Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild Recap: 4. Couldn't even get up the ice
Kudos to the Minnesota Wild for their transition defense, which gave the Stars fits all afternoon. Minnesota really clogged the middle of the ice, and Dallas could do nothing to fix it. It was like watching the Stars try to swim up a creek and lose their life raft halfway up the ice. If Dallas wants to win the series, it can't keep coughing up the puck in transition. That's one of the many things Dallas needs to fix on defense moving forward.
Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild Recap: 3. The world is not ending
Many fans think the series is over after one game. Dallas has been in this position so long that you could consider it a regular occurrence for them. Looking back at the last playoff series a couple of seasons ago, Dallas and Minnesota basically split games in both cities. That should be the expectation this year as well. I'm not ready to hit the panic button just yet, but if the Stars were to lose on Monday night, it's not going to be a fun plane ride north.
Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild Recap: 2. Can't allow Minnesota to go on the power play
Even though Minnesota dominated the game at even strength this afternoon, you can't allow them to go on the power play constantly. I know there were some iffy calls by the officials this afternoon, but the fact that Dallas allowed them to score twice on the power play is not going to win them this series. The players can't control the head official and what he calls during a hockey game. What they can control is preventing the Wild from capitalizing on those attempts.
Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild Recap: 1. At least Jason Robertson scored
It was a Christmas miracle seeing Jason Robertson score the only goal in today's game against the Wild. If there was one thing the Stars can take away from tonight's game, it is that, finally, Robertson showed up in the postseason. While it didn't do much in terms of the final score, at least one of the top players found the back of the net this afternoon. Dallas will be back on Monday against the Wild at the American Airlines Center, trying not to go into a 2-0 hole headed to Minnesota.
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