Final - OT
  for this game

Stars-Wild Preview

Feb 8, 2016 - 4:54 PM The Minnesota Wild spent most of the last three weeks losing on the road, but are now in danger of setting a franchise mark for home futility.

Playing their first post-All-Star break game at the Xcel Energy Center, the reeling Wild try to avoid a club-record sixth consecutive home defeat Tuesday night against the Dallas Stars.

Minnesota (23-20-9) went 0-1-2 against Dallas this season before a 2-1 victory Jan. 9. The Wild have since totaled 17 non-shootout goals while going 1-9-1. They've played seven of the last eight on the road and dropped their fifth in a row overall, 4-1 at St. Louis on Saturday to conclude a three-game trip.

"It's frustrating," forward Jason Pominville, who has two points in 19 games, told the Wild's official website.

Minnesota plays its next three at home, where it has managed seven goals during a 0-3-2 slide that's left them in danger of making history for the wrong reason.

"We're going to turn this around; that's where our focus is right now," Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher said before Saturday's defeat. "This group, the coaches and players have won a lot of games, they know what it takes, and I'm looking to our leadership group right now to step up ... I'm looking for the players to play the right way and I'm confident that we'll get there."

Despite the outcome in St. Louis, the Wild felt they made some positive strides by scoring a power-play goal in their third consecutive contest and recording a club-record 24 shots in the second period.

"We obviously would have liked to get one or two more there," coach Mike Yeo said. "If we recognize that and we see what we put into the game (Saturday), and bring that back home with us, then we'll have a chance to get this turned around."

Minnesota has killed all 13 penalties over the last six home games, but allowed the Blues to convert three of their six chances with the man-advantage.

Dallas (33-15-5) is 3 for 10 on the power play against Minnesota this season but went 0 for 6 and yielded two short-handed goals in Saturday's 5-1 home loss to Chicago. The Stars had won three in a row and totaled nine goals in the previous two contests.

"We just kind of laid an egg," forward Vernon Fiddler told the Stars' official website. "It's unacceptable."

Antti Niemi was pulled after allowing three goals on 11 shots for Dallas, which gets another crack at the Western Conference-leading Blackhawks on Thursday in Chicago.

"This was just a total team loss, really," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. "We needed a couple saves, and there'd be a couple you'd like back when they're going through you, some tough-angle ones went in. But this one's on the team."

Niemi has a 3.84 goals-against average while going 2-1-0 in February, but owns a 2.08 GAA and the same record against Minnesota in 2015-16.

Jamie Benn has three goals and eight assists during a seven-game point streak against the Wild.

Minnesota All-Star Devan Dubnyk made 34 saves at Dallas in last month's win, but is 0-7-1 since and has a 4.41 GAA while losing all three February starts in regulation.

Teammate Zach Parise has no points in three games against the Stars this season, and only one of his team-leading 17 goals in the last 10 contests.








  • DALLAS: 4
    MINNESOTA: 3
    Final - OT

    Feb 26 4:53 PM


  • Power play - Goal scored by Mikko Koivu assisted by Mathew Dumba and Zach Parise

    Stars 3, Wild 3  3rd - 18:44Feb 9 11:10 PM


  • Goal scored by John Klingberg assisted by Jamie Benn

    Stars 4, Wild 3  OT - 2:21Feb 9 11:02 PM


  • DALLAS: 4
    MINNESOTA: 3
    Final - OT

    Feb 9 10:52 PM


  • End of 1st OT.

    Feb 9 10:52 PM


  • Dallas scores a goal

    Stars 4, Wild 3  OT - 2:21Feb 9 10:51 PM
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    Stars 3, Wild 3  OT - 2:50Feb 9 10:50 PM
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    Stars 3, Wild 3  OT - 3:30Feb 9 10:49 PM


  • DALLAS: 3
    MINNESOTA: 3
    End of Regulation

    Feb 9 10:45 PM
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    Stars 3, Wild 3  End of Reg.Feb 9 10:45 PM


  • End of 3rd Period.

    Feb 9 10:44 PM
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    Stars 3, Wild 3  3rd - 4:10Feb 9 10:38 PM
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    Stars 3, Wild 3  3rd - 5:00Feb 9 10:37 PM
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    Stars 3, Wild 3  3rd - 5:50Feb 9 10:35 PM
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    Stars 3, Wild 3  3rd - 11:10Feb 9 10:22 PM
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    Stars 3, Wild 3  3rd - 15:46Feb 9 10:16 PM
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    Stars 3, Wild 3  3rd - 18:44Feb 9 10:11 PM


  • Minnesota scores a power-play goal

    Stars 3, Wild 3  3rd - 18:35Feb 9 10:08 PM


  • Power play - Goal scored by Patrick Eaves assisted by Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn

    Stars 3, Wild 2  2nd - 9:15Feb 9 10:02 PM


  • DALLAS: 3
    MINNESOTA: 2
    End of 2nd

    Feb 9 9:48 PM
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    Stars 3, Wild 2  2nd - 0:01Feb 9 9:48 PM


  • End of 2nd Period.

    Feb 9 9:48 PM
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    Stars 3, Wild 2  2nd - 3:10Feb 9 9:40 PM
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    Stars 3, Wild 2  2nd - 4:30Feb 9 9:38 PM
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    Stars 3, Wild 2  2nd - 5:13Feb 9 9:35 PM


  • Dallas scores a power-play goal

    Stars 3, Wild 2  2nd - 9:15Feb 9 9:26 PM
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    Stars 3, Wild 2  2nd - 9:15Feb 9 9:26 PM
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    Stars 2, Wild 2  2nd - 13:10Feb 9 9:19 PM


  • Dallas scores a goal

    Stars 2, Wild 2  2nd - 15:59Feb 9 9:14 PM
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    Stars 2, Wild 2  2nd - 15:59Feb 9 9:14 PM


  • Goal scored by Jason Demers assisted by Mattias Janmark and Valeri Nichushkin

    Stars 2, Wild 2  2nd - 15:59Feb 9 9:12 PM
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    Stars 1, Wild 2  2nd - 18:24Feb 9 9:10 PM
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    Stars 1, Wild 2  2nd - 19:20Feb 9 9:09 PM


  • DALLAS: 1
    MINNESOTA: 2
    End of 1st

    Feb 9 8:49 PM


  • End of 1st Period.

    Feb 9 8:49 PM


  • Minnesota scores a goal

    Stars 1, Wild 2  1st - 7:51Feb 9 8:32 PM


  • Goal scored by Justin Fontaine assisted by Erik Haula and Thomas Vanek

    Stars 1, Wild 2  1st - 7:51Feb 9 8:30 PM


  • Goal scored by Alex Goligoski assisted by Tyler Seguin and Patrick Eaves

    Stars 1, Wild 1  1st - 10:13Feb 9 8:29 PM


  • Dallas scores a goal

    Stars 1, Wild 1  1st - 10:13Feb 9 8:29 PM


  • Goal scored by Erik Haula assisted by Thomas Vanek and Ryan Suter

    Stars 0, Wild 1  1st - 15:12Feb 9 8:18 PM


  • Minnesota scores a goal

    Stars 0, Wild 1  1st - 15:12Feb 9 8:18 PM


  • DALLAS: 0
    MINNESOTA: 0
    1st Period - 20:00

    Feb 9 8:11 PM


  • Tyler Seguin won faceoff against Mikko Koivu in neutral zone

    Feb 9 8:10 PM
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    Stars vs. WildDec 22 8:31 AM
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    Stars vs. WildNov 29 8:31 AM
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    Stars vs. WildNov 15 8:31 AM
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    Stars vs. WildJun 26 8:31 AM