First Shift: Stars renew bad blood with Wild

It’s difficult to say what the most important number was for the Stars last season.

Sure, Dallas led the NHL in faceoff success, ranked third in penalty kill success and was third in goals against average, but the fact this team was able to go 18-4-4 in games against divisional opponents really helped pave the way to confidence down the stretch and an eventual run to the Western Conference finals. Remember, many prognosticators felt the Stars would struggle in a tough Central Division against St. Louis, Winnipeg, Nashville and Minnesota – let alone Colorado – so there was a real chance a potential playoff berth could come down to the last week of the season. But fueled by their success against the Central bunkmates, the lads in Victory Green built momentum.

So now, coming off a 3-2 win against Winnipeg on Saturday and getting ready for a 5 p.m. start at Minnesota on Sunday, the challenge of divisional success is once again a big topic.

“It’s critical,” said coach Pete DeBoer.

“We try to win every game, but you know it’s your division so I think there’s a little more bad blood there,” defenseman Thomas Harley said. “You play each other, you know each other, and you dislike each other.”

The Stars have extra dislike for the Wild. They played them in the First Round of the playoffs back in April, winning in six games, and also tossed in two exhibition games this fall that got a little bit chippy. And with the Wild sitting at 5-7-2, there could be some extra juice in this game.

“There will be some physicalness,” Harley acknowledged.

So what is the key for the Stars? Well, they need to duplicate a lot of the things they did Saturday in the win over the Jets, and they need to get more outstanding goaltending. Scott Wedgewood stopped 31 of 33 shots against the Jets, and now Jake Oettinger will get a chance against the Wild. Oettinger grew up in the greater Minneapolis area, so these games are special for him. He will have plenty of friends and family looking on, and that will make the game just a touch more important.

“I don’t know how his mind works, but I get us two points tonight and he gets his hometown start tomorrow,” Wedgewood said. “He’s obviously got family there and those games are fun. I get those in Toronto and you’re always putting everything you have into it, but there’s a little bit more on your shoulders, so we’re looking forward to it.”

The Stars coaching staff have pushed for Wedgewood to get more games this year and for Oettinger to get more rest. So far, that has worked out for both.

"It’s become more important over the last few years, load management in that position,” DeBoer said. “I think it’s a tougher position than it’s ever been to play. When you look at the goaltending success in the League, a lot of those teams have good tandems that can spot each other off. I think we wanted to come into the season with our fingers crossed that we keep both guys healthy, and if they were healthy, we wanted to make sure that we were playing both of them."

Oettinger is off to a 6-2-1 start with a 2.10 GAA and .933 save percentage. Wedgewood, meanwhile, is 3-1-0 with a 3.02 GAA and .917 save percentage. The tandem sure looks to be clicking.

“We know the situation, we know how it works,” Wedgewood said. “I want to keep getting in there and when I keep winning, it’s obviously a benefit to him as well.”

Key Numbers

3.93
Minnesota ranks 30th in goals against average at 3.93 per game.

68.2 percent
Minnesota ranks last in the NHL in penalty kill success at 68.2 percent.

4-0-1
Jake Oettinger is 4-0-1 against the Wild in the regular season with a 2.40 GAA and .917 save percentage.

He Said It

“I think that’s what depth gives you. We’ve been so used to Roope’s line dominating every night and, right now, they’re a little cold. Now we’re getting contributions from Wyatt and Matt Duchene’s sticking the puck in the net every night and has arguably been our most consistent forward so far. That’s the benefit of depth.”

- Stars coach Pete DeBoer on the impact of balanced lines on the team’s 9-3-1 record.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.