Wild Crush Stars 6-1 in Stanley Cup Playoffs Game 1 Sport By lines April 18, 2026 The Minnesota Wild opened the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday with a 6-1 win over Dallas. Matt Boldy scored twice and added an assist to lead the Wild offense at American Airlines Center. Boldy, Wallstedt Spark Wild to Decisive Game 1 Victory Over Dallas Kirill Kaprizov scored and added two assists, tying Zach Parise’s Wild record of 16 career playoff goals. Kaprizov also scored his third career playoff game-winning goal for Minnesota, matching Nino Niederreiter for the franchise record. Joel Eriksson Ek scored twice on the power play for the Wild, collecting passes from Mats Zuccarello and Matt Boldy. Eriksson Ek’s first goal came at 5:35 of the first period on a tic-tac-toe passing play. Eriksson Ek’s second power-play goal pushed the Wild lead to 5-1 at 8:13 of the third period. Rookie goaltender Jesper Wallstedt made 27 saves in his Stanley Cup Playoff debut for Minnesota. Mats Zuccarello finished with three assists, while Ryan Hartman added a goal and an assist for the Wild. Minnesota’s power play converted twice, making the Stars pay for infractions at both ends of regulation. Jason Robertson scored a power-play goal for Dallas at 15:10 of the second period, cutting the deficit to 4-1. Jake Oettinger made 23 saves for Dallas in the loss. Matt Boldy scored into an empty net at 16:52 to seal the 6-1 final. Dallas Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said his team failed to win battles, allowing the Wild to build a 5-goal lead. Game 2 is at American Airlines Center on Monday at 9:30 p.m. ET. Related Sports Coverage Hurricanes Host Senators in Game 1 at Lenovo Center Flyers at Penguins: Game 1 Renews Pennsylvania Rivalry Nuggets vs Timberwolves Game 1: Jokic Tests Edwards Source: NHL.com Game 1 Recap.
