Key keywords: 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, The Athletic NHL analysis, Central Division playoff clash, Kirill Kaprizov, Jason Robertson, NHL first round preview, Jake Oettinger, Filip Gustavsson The Athletic’s exclusive 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs first round preview breaks down one of the most anticipated Central Division matchups of the postseason: the 2-seed Dallas Stars taking on the 7-seed Minnesota Wild, a pairing that promises high-octane offense, elite goaltending, and decades of divisional rivalry drama. Dallas finished the 2025-26 regular season with 113 points, powered by the league’s second-ranked offense that averaged 3.87 goals per game. Left winger Jason Robertson notched a career-high 52 goals and 61 assists for 113 points, finishing third in the Hart Trophy voting, while veteran captain Jamie Benn rebounded from a down 2025 campaign to post 68 points in 76 games. Between the pipes, Jake Oettinger posted a .921 save percentage and 5 shutouts, cementing his status as one of the top 5 goaltenders in the league this season. The Stars’ special teams are also a massive advantage: their power play finished with a 26.8% success rate (4th in the NHL), while their penalty kill clocked in at 83.2%, good for 11th league-wide. On the other side, the Minnesota Wild snuck into the postseason after a furious late-season push that saw them win 12 of their final 15 games to clinch the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. Hart Trophy finalist Kirill Kaprizov led the way with 49 goals and 58 assists for 107 points, while 24-year-old winger Matt Boldy broke out with 41 goals of his own to form one of the most dangerous top lines in the Western Conference. Goaltender Filip Gustavsson carried the team down the stretch, posting a .932 save percentage in his final 18 starts, while veteran defenseman Jonas Brodin anchored a defensive unit that allowed the 8th-fewest goals per game in the league this season. The Wild’s penalty kill is their biggest strength, finishing the regular season with an 86.9% success rate (3rd in the NHL), a stat that will be critical against Dallas’ elite power play. Regular season matchups between the two teams were tightly contested, with each side winning two of the four head-to-head games, three of which were decided by one goal, including one overtime contest. The Athletic’s hockey analysis team notes that the series’ biggest X-factor will be the health of Dallas’ top defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who missed the final three games of the regular season with a lower-body injury but is expected to return for Game 1. For Minnesota, the ability to get secondary scoring beyond their top line will be the difference between an upset and an early exit. The Athletic’s official prediction has the Stars advancing in 6 games, but notes that a Wild upset would not be surprising if Gustavsson can replicate his late-season form.