3 Keys: Wild at Stars, Game 1 of Western 1st Round

(3C) Wild at (2C) Stars
Western Conference First Round, Game 1
9:30 p.m. ET; ESPN2, SN360, TVAS2, BSSW, BSN, BSWIX

Filip Gustavsson started in goal for the Minnesota Wild in Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Monday.
Wild coach Dean Evason wouldn't divulge whether Gustavsson or Marc-Andre Fleury would start prior to the game.
"We're going to make decisions game by game, including our starting goaltender," he said. "Could be different every game, could be the same. We've talked about that a lot this year. Everybody knows how we've handled our goaltenders, and that will stay the same."
Gustavsson was the first goalie off the ice, often an indication of who will start a game, during an optional morning skate.
RELATED: [Complete Stars vs. Wild series coverage]
Gustavsson was 22-9-7 with a 2.10 goals-against average, .931 save percentage and three shutouts in 39 games (37 starts). Fleury was 24-16-4 with a 2.85 GAA, .908 save percentage and two shutouts in 46 games (45 starts).
Each went 1-1-0 in two starts against the Stars this season. Gustavsson had a 1.97 GAA and .939 save percentage in his two games against Dallas, while Fleury had a 3.87 GAA and .896 save percentage against the Stars.
It is Gustavsson's first Stanley Cup Playoff game. Fleury is a three-time Stanley Cup champion who has started 167 postseason games, third-most in NHL history behind Patrick Roy (247) and Martin Brodeur (205).
Teams that win Game 1 are 507-235 (63.8 percent) winning the best-of-7 series, including 8-7 (53.3 percent) last season.
Here are 3 keys for Game 1:

1. Can Stars' momentum carry into postseason?

The Stars finished the regular season on a six-game winning streak. So does that transfer to the start of the playoffs? Dallas coach Peter DeBoer said it's not so much about the late-season record as much as how the team was playing.
"I'm a big believer [of] you want your game in the right place coming down the stretch," he said Sunday. "Whether we won six in a row, won four out of six, I think usually if your game's in a good place you're going to win games. That's more important to me than the fact we're on any kind of a winning streak.
"The streaks get thrown out this time of year. It's a new season, you're playing a 100-plus point team that was a [113]-point team last year. There are no soft touches, so we've got to be ready."

2. Injured Wild players' status uncertain

As with the goalie, Evason also wouldn't say who could be in or out among several injured players.
Wild defenseman John Klingberg may not be ready for Game 1 against the Stars, with whom he played eight seasons before signing with the Anaheim Ducks as a free agent July 29. The Ducks traded him to the Wild on March 3.
Klingberg did not participate in the optional morning skate because of a lower-body injury sustained during practice Saturday.
Joel Eriksson Ek skated Monday. The forward has been out because of a lower-body injury sustained blocking a shot by Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin on April 6. Evason said Sunday there's "always a chance" he plays in Game 1.
Forward Oskar Sundqvist who also sustained a lower-body injury against the Penguins, skated Monday.

3. Oettinger motivated

Jake Oettinger will start for the Stars in Game 1 and the goalie is looking to rediscover the level he reached against the Calgary Flames in the first round of the playoffs last season, when he had a 1.87 GAA and .954 save percentage in a seven-game loss.
Oettinger was 37-11-11 with a 2.37 GAA, .919 save percentage and five shutouts in 62 games (61 starts) during the regular season, and teammates have no doubt he's ready.
"The kid's determined and wants to be the best and that's what you love out of a goaltender," forward Jamie Benn said. "You try to forget the losses, but some stick with you a little longer than others, if not forever. He's pretty dialed and I'm looking forward to watching him play this postseason."

Wild projected lineup

Kirill Kaprizov -- Ryan Hartman -- Mats Zuccarello
Marcus Johansson -- Frederick Gaudreau -- Matt Boldy
Gustav Nyquist -- Sam Steel -- Marcus Foligno
Brandon Duhaime -- Connor Dewar -- Ryan Reaves
Jake Middleton -- Jared Spurgeon
Jonas Brodin -- Matt Dumba
Jon Merrill -- Brock Faber
Filip Gustavsson
Marc-Andre Fleury
Scratched:Calen Addison, Damien Giroux, Alex Goligoski, Hunter Jones, Nic Petan, Marco Rossi, Nick Swaney, Samuel Walker
Injured:Joel Eriksson Ek (lower body), Oskar Sundqvist (lower body), John Klingberg (lower body)

Stars projected lineup

Jason Robertson -- Roope Hintz -- Joe Pavelski
Jamie Benn -- Wyatt Johnston -- Evgenii Dadonov
Mason Marchment -- Max Domi -- Tyler Seguin
Luke Glendening -- Radek Faksa -- Ty Dellandrea
Ryan Suter -- Miro Heiskanen
Esa Lindell --
Jani Hakanpaa
Thomas Harley -- Colin Miller
Jake Oettinger
Scott Wedgewood
Scratched:Joel Hanley, Joel Kiviranta, Nils Lundkvist, Fredrik Olofsson
Injured:None

Status report

Jones was recalled from Iowa of the American Hockey League and will be the Wild's third goaltender. ... Wedgewood did not practice Sunday because of illness, according to DeBoer. He skated Monday and is expected to back up Oettinger in Game 1.
NHL.com independent correspondent Taylor Baird contributed to this report