Stars and Wild provide quite a preview for their upcoming playoff series |

DALLAS (AP) — Just wait until the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild are playing in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

They set quite a tone in a preview that came with a week left in the regular season. The Central Division foes, already locked into a first-round matchup, were ready to get after each other even before the best-of-seven series they will play at the start of the postseason.

kAm“%92E’D AC@323=J 6I24E=J H92E J@F’C6 8@:?8 E@ 6IA64E] vFJD 7:?:D9:?8 9:ED[ E2<:?8 9:ED E@ >2<6 A=2JD[” D2:5 y2D@? #@36CED@?[ H9@D6 ca?5 8@2= H:E9 hiad E@ A=2J H2D E96 82>6\H:??6C 7@C E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^H:=5\DE2CD\D4@C6\afdb6a5fd6g_b`a2a“`c5fbach77`7cQm$E2CD 😕 2 d\c G:4E@CJk^2m @? %9FCD52J ?:89E]k^Am

kAm“u@C DFC6[” $E2CD 4@249 v=6? vF=FEK2? D2:5] “*@F 6H E96C6 H2D 8@:?8 E@ 36 D@>6 6>@E:@? 😕 E96 82>6] %96J’G6 366? ECJ:?8 E@ 9F?E FD 5@H? 7@C >@?E9D[ 2?5 :E’D 8:G6? E96> D@>6 7F6=]”k^Am

kAm(J2EE y@9?DE@?[ |:<<@ #2?E2?6? 2?5 r@=:? q=246 2 EH@\8@2= 567:4:E 2?5 ?@H 2E `_e A@:?ED 2C6 7@FC 29625 @7 |:??6D@E2 7@C 9@>6\:46 25G2?E286] q@E9 E62>D 92G6 E9C66 >@C6 C68F=2C\D62D@? 82>6D 367@C6 E96:C A=2J@77 @A6?6C]k^Am

kAm%96C6 H6C6 `a C@F89:?8 A6?2=E:6D 😕 E96 82>6 — D:I 282:?DE 6249 E62> — 2?5 A=6?EJ @7 @E96C D4F77=6D :?G@=G:?8 >F=E:A=6 A=2J6CD]k^Am

kAm“tG6CJ E:>6 E96D6 EH@ E62>D A=2J 6249 @E96C :E 2=H2JD 😀 2 92C5\7@F89E 32EE=6[” D2:5 (:=5 4@249 y@9? wJ?6D[ H9@D6 E62> 925 :ED 7@FC\82>6 H:??:?8 DEC62< D?2AA65] Q*@F D2H D@>6 6>@E:@? 😕 E96 82>6[ 2?5 x E9:?< E92E 😀 E@ 36 6IA64E65]”k^Am

k9am&?E:= E96J >66E 282:?k^9am

kAm%96 C6>2:?:?8 82>6D 7@C E96 $E2CD 2C6 2== 282:?DE t2DE6C? r@?76C6?46 E62>D[ E96 ?6IE EH@ 282:?DE E96 E62>D 2E E96 3@EE@> @7 E96 DE2?5:?8D — E96:C 9@>6 7:?2=6 $2EFC52J 282:?DE E96 }6H *@C< #2?86CD 367@C6 8@:?8 E@ %@C@?E@] s2==2D 7:?:D96D 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^D23C6D\4=:?49\A=2J@77\36CE9\2dh4`3635hhf2ececc2dh46ha64ehb_hQmA=2J@77\3@F?5 qF772=@k^2m] H9:49 92D 6?565 2? }w{\C64@C5 `c D62D@?D @7 7FE:=:EJ]k^Am

kAm%96 (:=5 DE2J 😕 E96 (6DE[ DE2CE:?8 2E }2D9G:==6 2?5 6?5:?8 2E 9@>6 282:?DE p?296:> — EH@ E62>D 7:89E:?8 7@C A=2J@77 DA@ED] %96J 8@ 😕 36EH66? E@ $E] {@F:D]k^Am

k9am(:=5VD BF:4< A@H6Ck^9am

kAmz:C:== z2AC:K@G 925 EH@ @7 |:??6D@E2’D E9C66 A@H6C\A=2J 8@2=D[ 8:G:?8 9:> cd 8@2=D @G6C2== 2?5 >2E49:?8 9:D D:?8=6\D62D@? 7C2?49:D6 C64@C5 2E `h A@H6C\A=2J 8@2=D]k^Am

kAmz2AC:K@G AFE E96 (:=5 FA a\` H:E9 `e D64@?5D =67E 😕 E96 7:CDE[ 2?5 `c D64@?5D :?E@ E96 A6?2=EJ] w6 6IE6?565 E92E E@ b\` @? 2?@E96C BF:4< A@H6C\A=2J 8@2= 😕 E96 D64@?5[ @?=J `e D64@?5D :?E@ E96 >2? 25G2?E286]k^Am

kAmp7E6C s2==2D 8@E 6G6?[ #J2? w2CE>2?’D A@H6C\A=2J 8@2= H:E9 h D64@?5D =67E 😕 E96 D64@?5 A6C:@5 AFE |:??6D@E2 FA c\b]k^Am

kAmqFE 6G6? E92E H2D?VE 6?@F89 7@C E96 (:=5] %96J 925 E96:C 7:CDE C68F=2E:@? =@DD D:?46 |2C49 a_ac H96? =625:?8 8@:?8 :?E@ E96 E9:C5 A6C:@5 — e`\_\c 😕 E92E DA2?]k^Am

kAm|:??6D@E2 925 2?@E96C A@H6C\A=2J 492?46 27E6C #2?E2?6?’D D=2D9:?8 A6?2=EJ H:E9 a `^a >:?FE6D =67E[ 3FE 72:=65 E@ D4@C6 6G6? H:E9 2? 6IEC2 D<2E6C 27E6C AF==:?8 u:=:A vFDE2GDD@? @FE @7 E96 ?6E]k^Am

kAm“w@H H6 A=2J65[ H6 D9@F=5 92G6 8@EE6? 2 36EE6C C6DF=E] x 76=E =:<6 H6 H6C6 A=2J:?8 G6CJ 8@@5[” vFDE2GDD@? D2:5] “(6 H6?E a\a 282:?DE E96>]”k^Am

k9am%96:C @E96C C68F=2C\D62D@? >2E49FADk^9am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^H:=5\DE2CD\D4@C6\e77ah3ff_g4e32cf55hbc2a4e2775gdfQms2==2D H@? d\ak^2m H96? |:??6D@E2 @? ~4E] `c[ 😕 E96 $E2CD 9@>6 @A6?6C 2 H66< :?E@ E96 D62D@?]k^Am

kAm|:??6D@E2 H@? 3@E9 82>6D :E 9@DE65[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^DE2CD\H:=5\D4@C6\3h2_bcbcf5b53cf_adh246ae`_c35gg3Qmd\a @? s64] “k^2m 2?5 2 a\` @G6CE:>6 H:? |2C49 a`]k^Am

k9am$@>6 9FCEDk^9am

kAm$E2CD 5676?D6>2? |:C@ w6:D<2?6? ?6G6C C6EFC?65 3642FD6 @7 2 =@H6C\3@5J :?;FCJ 27E6C 36:?8 @4<65 92C5 :?E@ E96 3@2C5D 3J w2CE>2? =2E6 😕 E96 7:CDE A6C:@5]k^Am

kAmvF=FEK2? 5:5?VE 92G6 2? FA52E6 @? w6:D<2?6? 27E6C E96 82>6[ 3FE D2:5 96 5:5?VE 6IA64E 9:> E@ A=2J 😕 E96 ?6IE 82>6]k^Am

kAm“(6’== 92G6 9:> =@@<65 2E E@>@CC@H 2?5 E96 ?6IE 52J[” D2:5 vF=FEK2?[ H9@ H2D 2D<65 :7 96 H2D H@CC:65 23@FE E96 5676?D6>2?VD A=2J@77 2G2:=23:=:EJ] “w@?6DE=J[ x 5@?’E @H[ 3FE 2?J E:>6 E96C6’D 2? :?;FCJ[ 6DA64:2==J J@FC E@A 8FJD[ :E’D 4@?46C?:?8]”k^Am

k9C ^m

kAm%9:D DE@CJ 92D 366? FA52E65 E@ D9@H E96 }w{ C6G:D65 :ED 4@F?E @7 C@F89:?8 A6?2=E:6D 😕 E96 82>6] %96C6 H6C6 `a DF49 A6?2=E:6D[ ?@E ?:?6]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! }w{i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?9=Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?9=k^2mk^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.