Minnesota Wild vs Dallas Stars Picks and Predictions November 16th 2024

Stars, Wild Set to Renew Divisional Rivalry

Some matchups in the long grind of an 82-game NHL season carry a little extra weight, and Saturday night’s game between the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars in St. Paul, Minn., is definitely one of those.

This contest between Central Division rivals has both fans and players fired up.

“It’s a measuring-stick game,” said Wild forward Marcus Foligno. “It’s like playing against Florida or Tampa. You’ve just got to … be patient, be smart. We know last year was not a lot of fun against these guys, so we’ve got to try to make amends for that.”

Both Teams Off to Strong Starts

Both Minnesota and Dallas have enjoyed impressive starts to the season. The Wild have earned at least one point in 14 of their first 16 games, while the Stars have won 10 of their first 15 contests.

Dallas comes into this matchup riding high after back-to-back dominant wins against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins, whom they outscored by a combined margin of 14-3.

One highlight of the Stars’ recent run was Evgenii Dadonov’s penalty-shot goal in their latest victory. It marked his fourth successful penalty shot in five career attempts.

“That shows you how deep our team is,” Stars forward Tyler Seguin said. “He can’t crack the top couple of shootouts. We might need to get him out there.”

Offensive Stars on Display

The Wild’s offensive attack is led by Kirill Kaprizov, who has already racked up 30 points (10 goals, 20 assists) in 16 games. Matt Boldy ranks second with 17 points (10 goals, 7 assists) over the same span.

For Dallas, Matt Duchene leads the way with 20 points (9 goals, 11 assists) in 15 games. Mason Marchment is right behind with 15 points (4 goals, 11 assists) in 14 games.

Tyler Seguin, who has been a consistent contributor, sits fourth on the Stars’ scoring list with 13 points (7 goals, 6 assists) in 11 games. Seguin notched two assists in their recent win over Boston.

“This is a hard league to score in — and to score at the rate he’s scored at,” Stars coach Peter DeBoer said of Seguin. “I like the way he’s getting his points right now. He’s just playing honest.”

Goaltending Duel: Gustavsson vs. Oettinger

Minnesota is expected to start goaltender Filip Gustavsson, who has been outstanding with an 8-2-2 record, a 2.08 goals-against average (GAA), and a .924 save percentage. He’s coming off a shutout victory against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.

Gustavsson has also been effective against the Stars, posting a 3-1-0 record with a 1.73 GAA and a .950 save percentage in four career games versus Dallas.

Dallas, on the other hand, is likely to counter with Jake Oettinger, who grew up just outside of St. Paul in Lakeville, Minn. Oettinger boasts an 8-3-0 record with a 2.39 GAA and a .914 save percentage this season. He’s also been solid against Minnesota, going 5-0-1 with a 2.49 GAA and a .913 save percentage in eight career appearances against the Wild.

Catch Tonight’s Winning NHL Picks! See what our experts say with the latest NHL hockey picks for tonight.

Wild Focused on Playing Connected Hockey

Minnesota coach John Hynes is pleased with his team’s overall play and cohesion thus far.

“We’re playing a strong, connected team game,” Hynes said. “We’re playing connected in all areas of the ice, obviously our defensive zone through the neutral zone. I think our offensive-zone game, we’re playing as a five-man unit. The guys are paying attention to details of the structure that you need.”

What to Watch For

• Wild’s Offensive Depth: Can Kaprizov and Boldy continue their high-scoring ways against a stingy Dallas defense?
• Stars’ Balanced Attack: Will players like Duchene and Marchment keep contributing alongside veteran leadership from Seguin?
• Goaltender Duel: With both Gustavsson and Oettinger in top form, expect a battle between the pipes.

This showdown between two hot Central Division teams promises to be a high-intensity matchup, with both squads looking to assert themselves as early contenders in the division.