Wild crush Stars 6–1

Minnesota opened its first-round series by hammering Dallas 6-1 in Game 1 on Saturday, April 18, with Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek scoring twice each. (espn.com) The Wild led 1-0 after the first period, then scored three times in the first 6:30 of the second to chase Dallas into a 4-0 hole at American Airlines Center. Kirill Kaprizov finished with a goal and two assists, and Mats Zuccarello had three assists. (espn.com) Rookie goaltender Jesper Wallstedt stopped 27 of 28 shots in his playoff debut, while Dallas starter Jake Oettinger gave up five goals before the empty-netter made it 6-1. Jason Robertson scored the Stars’ only goal on a second-period power play. (espn.com) For Minnesota, the result put a club that has lost nine straight playoff series since 2015 in front 1-0 against a Central Division rival it also met in the 2016 and 2023 first rounds. The series returned to a familiar matchup, but the opener looked one-sided from the first Wild power play. (espn.com) (sports.yahoo.com) For Dallas, the loss added to a recent pattern in playoff openers. USA Today noted the Stars have struggled in Game 1s against higher-intensity opponents, and Saturday’s six-goal defeat fit that trend. (usatoday.com) The broader postseason started Saturday, April 18, when the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs opened with the first round. National broadcasts for the round are split across TNT, TBS, truTV, ESPN and ABC. (usatoday.com) (nhl.com) Minnesota’s special teams set the tone early. Eriksson Ek scored on the power play at 5:35 of the first period and added another power-play goal in the third, while Boldy’s second goal came into an empty net with 3:08 left. (nhl.com) (espn.com) Game 2 is the next test for Dallas, which still has home ice but now trails 1-0 in the best-of-seven series. Minnesota already has the split it came to Texas seeking, and Game 1 turned that opening trip into a statement. (apnews.com)