Wild-Stars game preview: Jesper Wallstedt will make his NHL debut in goal

Tonight's game is a rematch of Monday's game at Xcel Energy Center; this time, the teams meet in Dallas.

January 10, 2024 at 6:43PM
Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin, left, skates with the puck as Minnesota Wild right wing Mats Zuccarello (36) defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
In 43 career games vs. the Wild, Dallas winger Tyler Seguin has racked up 19 goals and 30 assists, including a goal and an assist in the Stars’ 4-0 victory over the Wild on Monday. (Matt Krohn, Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

WILD GAMEDAY

at Dallas Stars, American Airlines Arena, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.

TV; radio: TNT; 100.3 FM

Stats and analytics: Tap here.

Sarah McLellan's preview:

Lineup update: Jesper Wallstedt will make his NHL debut tonight as the Wild's goaltender. He was with the team in Sweden earlier this season, but did not play. Two Wild players — Marcus Johansson and Marcus Foligno — will be game-time decisions because of illness.

Opening bell: This is the third and final meeting of the regular season between these Central Division rivals, and Dallas is going for a sweep after routing the Wild in the first two games. The Stars have been dominating this matchup: Dallas (23-11-5) is on a nine-game point streak vs. the Wild, going 6-0-3. Over the past seven contests at American Airlines Arena, including the playoffs last season, the Wild (17-18-4) have won only three times.

Watch him: Stars RW Tyler Seguin continues to thrive against the Wild. Seguin set up C Roope Hintz's shorthanded goal in the first period on Monday and then scored early in the third. In 43 career games vs. the Wild, Seguin is up to 19 goals and 30 assists.

Injuries: Wild D Jonas Brodin (upper body), G Filip Gustavsson (lower body), LW Kirill Kaprizov (upper body), RW Vinni Lettieri (lower body) and D Jared Spurgeon (lower body). Stars D Miro Heiskanen (lower body) and G Jake Oettinger (lower body).

Forecast: Whoever wins the special-teams battle has won the game, and lately that's been the Stars. After scoring five power-play goals and twice shorthanded in the 8-3 romp on Nov. 12, Dallas used another two shorthanded tallies and a power-play marker to cruise to a 4-0 shutout on Monday. The Wild did a better job of cutting down on penalties, but the progress was a moot point since their power play (0-for-6) was so ineffective. Staying out of the box is still a smart strategy, but the Wild need goals — either via the power play or at even strength. If the offense doesn't deliver, the team could very well be in for another difficult night.

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about the writer

about the writer

Sarah McLellan

Minnesota Wild and NHL

Sarah McLellan covers the Wild and NHL. Before joining the Star Tribune in November 2017, she spent five years covering the Coyotes for The Arizona Republic.

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