Stars and Wild to Meet in Western Conference First Round

Home ice advantage still to be determined as teams conclude regular-season series

Apr. 8, 2026 at 3:23am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a hockey game between the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild, with the players and action broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of color representing the teams' official palettes.The upcoming playoff clash between the Stars and Wild promises an intense, high-stakes battle between two of the Western Conference's elite teams.Dallas Today

The Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild will face off in the Western Conference First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Stars currently hold second place in the Central Division, two points ahead of the Wild, with each team having four games remaining in the regular season. The team that finishes with more points will have home-ice advantage for the first-round series.

Why it matters

This matchup features two of the top teams in the Western Conference battling for playoff positioning and home-ice advantage. Both the Stars and Wild have high-powered offenses and strong goaltending, setting the stage for an exciting and evenly-matched first-round series.

The details

The Stars are led by Jason Robertson (91 points), Wyatt Johnston (82 points, NHL-high 26 power-play goals), and Mikko Rantanen (74 points). Goaltender Jake Oettinger has been stellar for Dallas, going 32-12-6 with a 2.61 goals-against average. The Wild are paced by Kirill Kaprizov (87 points) and Matt Boldy (83 points), while Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt have formed a strong goaltending tandem. The teams have split their season series 2-1-0, with the final regular-season matchup set for Thursday in Dallas.

  • The Stars (46-20-12) and Wild (45-21-12) will conclude their regular-season series on Thursday, April 11, 2026 at 9 p.m. ET.
  • The Western Conference First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin in late April 2026.

The players

Jason Robertson

The Stars' leading scorer with 91 points (41 goals, 50 assists) in 78 games.

Wyatt Johnston

The Stars' second-leading scorer with 82 points (43 goals, 39 assists) in 78 games, and the NHL leader with 26 power-play goals.

Mikko Rantanen

The Wild's leading scorer with 74 points (21 goals, 53 assists) in 60 games, returning from a lower-body injury sustained at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Kirill Kaprizov

The Wild's leading scorer with 87 points (43 goals, 44 assists) in 76 games.

Matt Boldy

The Wild forward has an NHL career-high 83 points (42 goals, 41 assists) in 74 games.

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What’s next

The Stars and Wild will conclude their regular-season series on Thursday, April 11, 2026 at 9 p.m. ET. The winner of that game will have home-ice advantage for their first-round playoff matchup.

The takeaway

This highly anticipated first-round playoff series between the Stars and Wild showcases the depth and talent of the Western Conference, as two of the top teams in the NHL battle for a chance to advance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.