The Dallas Stars suffered another Game 1 defeat, falling 6-1 to the Minnesota Wild in their Western Conference quarterfinal opener at American Airlines Center. This marks the ninth time in 11 playoff series that Dallas has lost the opening game, extending a troubling pattern that dates back several seasons.

Jake Oettinger allowed four goals through two periods before settling in, though coach Glen Gulutzan never considered pulling him. The Wild's first-period power-play goal by Joel Eriksson Ek set the tone, with Minnesota adding three unanswered goals in the second period. Jason Robertson scored Dallas' lone goal on the power play with less than five minutes remaining in the second period.

Despite the lopsided score, Stars veterans like Miro Heiskanen and Mikko Rantanen emphasized the series is far from over, pointing to their history of bouncing back from Game 1 losses. Dallas has advanced after dropping six of their previous eight opening games. The series shifts to St. Paul for Games 3 and 4, with Game 2 in Dallas on Monday determining whether the Wild take a commanding 2-0 lead or the Stars even the series.