ST. PAUL, Minn. — In an impressive showing, Mason Marchment netted two goals and Ilya Lyubushkin contributed with two assists, leading the Dallas Stars to a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night.
Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger was solid between the pipes, making 22 saves. This win extends the Stars’ unbeaten streak against the Wild to 11 games in regular-season play, including a record of 8-0-3. Over their last seven encounters, Dallas has dominated Minnesota with a 6-0-1 record and has outscored them 30-9 overall.
Oettinger, who hails from Lakeville, Minnesota, which is approximately 25 miles from the Xcel Energy Center, boasts an impressive 6-0-1 record in his nine career appearances versus the Wild, with eight of those being starts.
On the other side, Kirill Kaprizov scored the only goal for Minnesota, while Filip Gustavsson faced a barrage of shots, making a season-high 38 saves. Gustavsson has performed remarkably, allowing two or fewer goals in a league-leading ten starts this season.
In terms of game dynamics, the Stars had previously scored seven goals in each of their two latest contests and maintained the pressure on Minnesota by registering 40 shots on goal, well above the Wild’s tally.
The Wild faced challenges, playing without key forwards Mats Zuccarello, who is sidelined for 3-4 weeks due to a lower-body injury, and Joel Eriksson Ek, who is day-to-day with a similar issue. As a result, Minnesota introduced four new line combinations, and forward Michael Milne made his NHL debut on the fourth line. Additionally, Liam Ohgren and Milne were recalled recently from AHL Iowa.
One of the defining moments of the match occurred during a second-period power play for the Wild. Gustavsson managed to stop Oskar Back, thwarting a potential scoring opportunity during a partial shorthanded breakaway stemming from a turnover. Moments later, he denied Matt Duchene on his own breakaway after the Dallas penalty had ended, which helped keep the game within a one-goal margin.
Notably, Minnesota’s penalty kill has been effective lately, managing to successfully neutralize 16 consecutive power plays dating back to November 7 against San Jose.
Looking ahead, the Dallas Stars are set to return to their home ice to face the Anaheim Ducks on Monday, while the Wild will initiate a three-game road trip, beginning on Tuesday in St. Louis.