Watch Wild coach John Hynes preview Saturday’s home game vs. Dallas. The Wild will be without Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Marcus Foligno.

Will Saturday be a 1st round playoff preview? The Wild still have 12 regular season games left. If the playoffs started today, they would open up in Dallas.

***Click the video box above to watch Hynes’ session with reporters Friday after practice***

The Stars visit the Wild after the Stars knocked off the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 in a shootout.

Below is a game preview, courtesy of the Associated Press:

Dallas Stars (43-15-10, 2nd in the Central Division) vs. Minnesota Wild (39-19-12, 3rd in the Central Division)

Saint Paul, Minnesota; Saturday, 3 p.m.

BOTTOM LINE: The Minnesota Wild host the Dallas Stars after the Stars knocked off the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 in a shootout.

Minnesota is 12-7-3 against the Central Division and 39-19-12 overall. The Wild are 35-3-6 when scoring three or more goals.

Dallas is 15-5-2 against the Central Division and 43-15-10 overall. The Stars have a +51 scoring differential, with 232 total goals scored and 181 conceded.

Saturday’s game is the third time these teams match up this season. The Wild won 5-2 in the last meeting. Marcus Johansson led the Wild with two goals.

TOP PERFORMERS: Kirill Kaprizov has scored 38 goals with 42 assists for the Wild. Brock Faber has one goal and eight assists over the last 10 games.

Wyatt Johnston has 37 goals and 37 assists for the Stars. Jason Robertson has five goals and 10 assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Wild: 4-4-2, averaging 2.8 goals, 4.6 assists, 4.3 penalties and 10.3 penalty minutes while giving up 2.1 goals per game.

Stars: 8-1-1, averaging 3.9 goals, 6.8 assists, 4.3 penalties and 9.5 penalty minutes while giving up 2.2 goals per game.

INJURIES: Wild: Joel Eriksson Ek: out (lower-body), Kirill Kaprizov: out (lower-body), Marcus Foligno: out (lower-body).

Stars: Mikko Rantanen: out (lower-body), Radek Faksa: out (upper-body), Roope Hintz: out (lower-body), Tyler Seguin: out for season (acl).

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