Check out a prediction and top betting pick for Game 1 between the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.<\/p>\n
The puck drops on the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs this Saturday, so we\u2019re gearing up for the postseason! At 5:30 p.m., what should be the best matchup of the day takes place as the Minnesota Wild<\/a> battle the Dallas Stars<\/a> down south. This series between the No. 2 and No. 3 teams not only in the Central Division, but the entire Western Conference, has all the makings of an instant classic.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a Wild vs. Stars Game 1 prediction and pick for today\u2019s NHL Playoffs action on DraftKings Sportsbook.<\/p>\n Wild vs. Stars Game 1 prediction, preview<\/p>\n This should be a thrilling series to say the least. Let\u2019s dive into the numbers and keys ahead of Game 1.<\/p>\n The Stars have been one of the best teams in hockey over the last few seasons after becoming just the seventh group to win 50+ games in three straight campaigns. They\u2019re no stranger to playoff success after reaching the Western Conference Final in each of the last three years, but they\u2019re yet to punch their ticket beyond that to the Stanley Cup.<\/p>\n In the first season under the direction of head coach Glen Gulutzan (who is in his second stint with Dallas), the Stars remain one of the top two-way teams in the NHL. They aren\u2019t a high-volume attack by any means at third-to-last in shots per game (25.3), but they prioritize higher-quality looks at fifth in high-danger chances. That strategy \u2014 coupled with the league\u2019s second-best power play with a PP% of 28.6% \u2014 have gotten them to a scoring mark of 3.33 goals per game. They\u2019re also the most efficient team in hockey with a 13.15% shooting percentage.<\/p>\n Jason Robertson (96P; 45G\/51A) paces the roster in points and ties for the team lead in goals with youngster Wyatt Johnston (86P; 45G\/41A). They\u2019re two of the best scorers in the sport and are a massive part of what makes the man advantage work so effectively. Mikko Rantanen (77P; 22G\/55A) maintains the best point-per-game ratio on the team as a star play driver, and Miro Heiskanen (63P; 9G\/54A) brings an elite two-way game on the blue line after recovering from a brief injury absence.<\/p>\n Defensively, Dallas is extremely stout with just 2.71 goals allowed per game, second fewest of any team. The Stars are also seventh in average shots on goal allowed to opponents (26.2), coming in at 10th in blocks\/60 as well. Jake Oettinger take his place between the pipes with an .899 SV% and 2.59 GAA amidst a statistical down year, but has proven his ability to stand on his head with pressure mounting during past postseason runs.<\/p>\n As for the Wild, they\u2019re accustomed to playing in the environment of the Stanley Cup Playoffs but have practically been cursed over the last decade. They\u2019ve been to the postseason seven times since 2015 but have failed to make it out of the first round even once. Things may be different for this year\u2019s iteration of the team, though, especially given their success after acquiring former Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes back in December.<\/p>\n Much like Dallas, two-way excellence is the name of the game for Minnesota. The Wild average 3.27 goals per game with 29.3 shots on goal (seventh most), but that scoring mark bumps up to 3.58 goals per contest across their 48 games with Hughes active. They\u2019re also one of the best teams on the man advantage, bringing a 25.2% PP% that ranks third in the league as well. As for that mark with Hughes? A cool 28.2%. If one thing is for certain, it\u2019s that special teams play will prove integral in this series.<\/p>\n The Wild are led in scoring by Kirill Kaprizov (89P; 45G\/44A), who remains a game-wrecking talent and caught fire in the postseason last year with nine points in six games. Matt Boldy is second on the Wild in scoring as the other primary finisher (85P; 42G\/43A), followed by Hughes, who works wonders as a puck mover (76P; 7G\/69A). Mats Zuccarello (54P; 15G\/39A), Joel Eriksson EK (51 P; 19G\/32A) and Brock Faber (51P; 15G\/36A) all broke the 50-point mark as well during the regular season.<\/p>\n Defensively, Minnesota has limited opponents to just 2.87 goals per game this season, fourth fewest. The group also sits fifth in blocks and 11th in hits, bringing a physical style to the ice. However, the Wild are a bit more porous in terms of chances with 29.4 shots allowed per contest, 24th in the NHL. That could prove slightly problematic for rookie netminder Jesper Wallstedt, who makes his first career start in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 2.61 GAA and .916 SV%.<\/p>\n Wild vs. Stars Game 1 pick, best bet<\/p>\n DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Stars as -120 favorites to win at home on the Moneyline today, while the Wild come in with even odds at +100 on the road. The game total sits at just 5.5 combined goals.<\/p>\n Betting splits show 72% of straight bets on Dallas to win, 63% of wagers on Minnesota to cover the +1.5 puck line, and 77% on the total\u2019s over.<\/p>\n These sides met four times during the regular season and actually split the series at two games apiece. The Stars took the most recent one 5-4 in a game that included multiple lead changes and scraps throughout, with tempers flaring more than usual. Dallas\u2019 other win came by a 5-2 margin in Octobert, while Minnesota\u2019s pair of wins came with a 5-2 mark in December and 2-1 finish in March.<\/p>\n With this series something of a toss-up, it\u2019s a bit difficult to pick an outright winner until we see the teams square off at least once more to get a feel for things in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. With that said, over 5.5 goals feels like a very reasonable bet given the amount of star-level talent and the past history. Three of those last four meetings this season went over today\u2019s total of 5.5 combined goals and this projects as another close, back-and-forth contest. Plus, the Wild went over the total in 54.9% of their games this season; the Stars did so in 50% of their own.<\/p>\n