Wild Rout Stars 6-1 in Game 1 Playoff Opener

Minnesota dominates Dallas in series opener, taking 1-0 lead in first-round matchup

Apr. 19, 2026 at 12:27am

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A fractured, cubist-style painting depicting the intensity and physicality of a hockey game, with the colors of the Wild and Stars clashing and intersecting in sharp geometric planes.The Wild's decisive Game 1 victory over the Stars sets the tone for a hard-fought first-round playoff series between these longtime rivals.Dallas Today

The Minnesota Wild opened their first-round playoff series against the Dallas Stars with a decisive 6-1 victory, delivering their largest margin of defeat in a postseason game since 2003. Rookie goaltender Jesper Wallstedt made an impressive playoff debut, while the Wild's top players, including Joel Eriksson Ek, Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, and Mats Zuccarello, all contributed to the lopsided win.

Why it matters

The Wild have struggled to advance past the first round of the playoffs in recent years, and this dominant performance against their bitter rival Stars could be a sign that they are poised to finally break through. However, the Stars have shown resilience in the past, coming back from blowout losses, so the Wild will need to maintain this level of play throughout the series.

The details

The Wild scored two power-play goals and killed off two Dallas power plays, while limiting the Stars to just one high-danger scoring chance in the first half of the game. Eriksson Ek scored twice on the power play, Kaprizov had a goal and two assists, Boldy scored two goals and had an assist, and Zuccarello recorded three assists.

  • The Wild won 6-1, their largest margin of defeat in a playoff game since 2003 when they won 7-2 over the Vancouver Canucks.
  • Game 2 is in Dallas on Monday night before the series heads to Minnesota.

The players

Jesper Wallstedt

The Wild's rookie goaltender who made an impressive playoff debut, showing no nerves in a crisp performance.

John Hynes

The Wild's head coach who made the gutsy decision to start Wallstedt over veteran Filip Gustavsson.

Joel Eriksson Ek

The Wild's center who scored two power-play goals in the game.

Kirill Kaprizov

The Wild's star forward who scored a goal and had two assists.

Matt Boldy

The Wild's forward who scored two goals and had an assist.

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What they’re saying

“Teams that win Game 1 of a best-of-seven series own an all-time series record of 535-252 (.680).”

— Michael Russo, Author

What’s next

Game 2 is in Dallas on Monday night before the series heads to Minnesota.

The takeaway

The Wild's dominant performance in Game 1 against their longtime rival Stars could be a sign that they are finally poised to break through and advance past the first round of the playoffs. However, the Stars have shown resilience in the past, so the Wild will need to maintain this level of play throughout the series.