They say every game is important, but this one truly is massive.
Separated by just two points in the standings, the Stars (31-20-3, 65 points) continue their three-game road trip Sunday afternoon against the Minnesota Wild (32-18-3, 67 points) at Xcel Energy Center. Holding down the second wild card spot in the West, the Stars can catch the Wild in points with a regulation win. The tiebreaker would go to Minnesota, which has a game in hand.
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But even if the Stars can't tangibly pass the Wild in the standings, drawing even with them would be a major step in securing a spot in the playoffs. Let's not forget the Stars as recent as Feb. 8 were 11 points behind the Wild in the standings.
Since the All-Star break, the Stars have gone 8-2-1 while the Wild has gone 4-8. Minnesota has dropped seven of its past nine games, including a 5-4 loss Friday in Buffalo. Minnesota was 19-6-1 on Dec. 9 and 28-10-3 on Feb. 2.
The Stars enter Sunday's matchup riding a three-game winning streak with victories over Buffalo, LA and Winnipeg, and have earned points in five consecutive games (4-0-1). They've figured out how to win on the road, earning points in eight of their past nine away from American Airlines Center (7-1-1) dating back to Jan. 20. Over that span, the Stars are tied for first in the NHL with a .833 road points percentage, while the team has allowed just 18 goals against for a 2.00 average, also tied for first in the NHL.
Minnesota opens a stretch of 11 of its next 13 on home ice, including a nine-game homestand beginning March 13 - the longest homestand in franchise history. The Wild has gone 16-5-1 at Xcel Energy Center, including a 7-2 victory over the Stars on Nov. 18.
Kirill Kaprizov had three points in the loss against Buffalo and has points in four consecutive games (three goals, three assists). The 24-year-old forward leads the Wild in points (68; t-4th in NHL), goals (26), assists (42; ninth in NHL), shots (186) and multi-point games (19).
Cam Talbot has appeared in 33 games for the Wild this season, posting a 20-12-1 record, 3.02 goals-against average and .907 save percentage. Kaapo Kahkonen has played in 22 games, earning a 12-6-2 mark, 2.74 GAA and .915 SV% over that span.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Kyle Shohara is the Digital Manager for DallasStars.com and writes about the Stars/NHL. Follow him on Twitter @kyleshohara.
