Wild vs Stars Odds · Game 2
| Wild Odds | +128 |
| Stars Odds | -154 |
| Over/Under | 5.5 (+110 / -134) |
| Time | 9:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN2 |
| Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
After a double-overtime slobberknocker in Game 1, the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars will reconvene Wednesday at American Airlines Center for the second game of their best-of-seven series.
Ryan Hartman played hero as the Wild stole a victory in Game 1. Here's the latest from both teams and your best bet for Wild vs Stars Game 2.
Minnesota Wild
Though they picked up a crucial win, the Wild did not dominate Game 1. Rather, they survived it.
Minnesota was outshot 53-48, outscored 2-1 with the man advantage and carried only 45.45% of the expected goals at 5-on-5. But the Wild played a bruising, physical game and were able to keep the Stars' effective power play at bay after shot-tipping specialist Joe Pavelski was knocked out of the game with an injury when Dallas was up 2-1 in the second period.
The Wild also got an outstanding performance from goaltender Filip Gustavsson. In his playoff debut, he made 51 saves, including 26 in 32:20 of overtime action.
As expected, Minnesota was missing two-way center Joel Eriksson Ek, who is sidelined with a lower-body injury. Forward Oskar Sundqvist is also on the injured list and trade-deadline pickup John Klingberg didn't line up on defense due to a lower-body issue.
Dallas Stars
Pavelski's injury was the turning point in the game. At 38, he's Dallas' veteran leader. He also had the top plus-minus on his team this season and was tied with Jason Robertson and Jamie Benn for the team lead in power-play goals (13).
Dallas coach Peter DeBoer didn't have an update on Pavelski's status during Tuesday's media availability, but said he'd been tinkering with line combinations in an effort to come up with something that would provide an offensive spark at 5-on-5. Rookie center Wyatt Johnston, who lives with the Pavelski family, said he saw his teammate at home after the game and he appeared to be in good spirits.
After enjoying a coming-out party during the 2022 playoffs, Jake Oettinger is now a known entity who's expected to deliver high-end goaltending on a nightly basis. He was solid Monday and was named the game's third star, but was eclipsed by Gustavsson.
Wild vs. Stars Pick
Both Minnesota and Dallas play solid defensive hockey that doesn't yield many high-danger scoring chances. In five periods Monday, each side notched 12 high-danger chances.
When looking for value Wednesday, the total is worth a look. The over/under of 5.5 is low, but these teams didn't reach it Monday and only got there in one of their four regular-season meetings this year.
Pavelski's potential absence is a concern, but the Stars also finished Game 1 with a rather unlucky .947 PDO. That number suggests Dallas probably deserved a better fate.
There's no timetable for when that number will start regressing to the mean, but it's highly unlikely a shooting percentage of 0.00% at 5-on-5 will hold up for long.
If you like the indicators from the regular season, considering backing the home side for a 60-minute win to even the series. That's available at plus money (+105).
And if you think this series is headed for its second-straight overtime outcome, there's a very nice +330 price available for a 60-minute tie.
In a series this tight, it's a solid betting option.
Pick: 60-Minute Tie (+330) | Play to +300 |
