Minnesota and Dallas face-off tonight in arguably the biggest game of the season at 8:00 p.m. on ESPN+ / Hulu and KFAN FM 100.3. Not only is this a preview of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but it could also go a long way in determining which of these two teams will get home-ice advantage next week. Dallas (104) comes into tonight’s game with a two-point edge over Minnesota (102). When these two teams met in the playoffs three seasons ago, Dallas had the home-ice advantage and won the series in six games. Per Stats Perform, Minnesota is 10-11-2 in regular season games played in Dallas dating back to the 2014-15 season, and 2-4 all-time in six Stanley Cup Playoff games.
As far as this season goes, this marks the fourth and final time these two teams will meet in the regular season, with Minnesota winning two of the first three meetings. Minnesota is looking to win the season series for the first time since the 2019-20 season. Minnesota enters tonight on a four-game win-streak and is 5-1-0 in its last six games, while Dallas is 3-2-1 in their last six outings. Special teams always seem to play a factor in games between these two teams. Minnesota’s penalty kill has been strong over its last six games, allowing just one power-play goal on 11 opportunities. Dallas has scored five power-play goals on 18 opportunities (27.8%) over their last six.
Filip Gustavsson is the expected starter for Minesota tonight. He comes into tonight’s contest with a 7-3-0 record over his last 10 starts with a 2.62 GAA, a .902 SV% and one shutout. In three starts against Dallas this season, Gustavsson is 2-1-0 with a 1.99 GAA and a .915 SV%. Jake Oettinger is the expected starter for Dallas tonight. He is 3-2-1 in his last seven starts with a 2.83 GAA, a .869 SV% and one shutout. He has started the previous three games against Minnesota, going 1-1-1 with a 2.31 GAA and a .929 SV%.
Players to Watch:
Ryan Hartman: He will look to extend his career-long seven-game point streak (6-5=11). He owns 16 points (8-8=16) in 37 career games against Dallas.
