Wild’s three-game winning streak ends with shutout loss to Stars

If the start of a challenging week is any indication of what’s to come, the Wild’s margin of error will be slight.

They were airtight until back-to-back shifts late in the second period when the Stars pulled away en route to a 3-0 victory Monday night at Dallas’ American Airlines Center that ended the Wild’s three-game win streak.

The Wild will be back in action Tuesday at Xcel Energy Center against the Golden Knights for a potential first-round playoff preview.

“It’s one of those ones where you feel like you deserve better,” coach John Hynes told reporters in Dallas. “But we didn’t get it. So, we’ve got to regroup and move on from this one.”

Dallas scored twice in 58 seconds during the second period, including on the power play, and Jake Oettinger made 32 saves for his second shutout of the season and 12th of his NHL career to tie for the fifth most by an active U.S.-born goaltender; the former Lakeville North athlete also ranks fourth in victories by a Stars/North Stars goalie with 146 after improving to 7-0-2 vs. the Wild, who couldn’t mount another two-goal, third period comeback against the Stars after rallying for a 3-2 overtime victory on Dec. 27 vs. their Central Division rival.

“Oettinger played really well, came up big when he needed to for them,” Hynes said. “We couldn’t find a way to break through.”

The Wild fell behind at 15:01 of the second when Wyatt Johnston tipped in Thomas Harley’s shot on the power play as Roope Hintz set a screen in front of Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson.

“We had three or four looks like that that didn’t go in,” Hynes said.

Their deficit doubled by 15:59 after Matt Duchene wove a shot through traffic from inside the right faceoff circle.

Mason Marchment added an empty-netter with 43 seconds to go.

Gustavsson, in a career-high seventh consecutive start, finished with 26 saves after being named the NHL’s First Star of the Week for his 3-0 run in which he stopped 82 of 84 shots.

This was the sixth game during Gustavsson’s past eight that he limited the other team to two or fewer goals, but the offensive support he received in recent victories over the Kings, Kraken and Sabres never arrived.

The shutout, though, wasn’t due to a lack of try: The Wild had a 6-0 shot advantage to begin the first, with Dallas not registering its first until it was the penalty kill almost halfway through the period.

Once the Stars did apply more pressure, Gustavsson was ready, poke-checking the puck away from Mikko Rantanen to thwart his breakaway and then denying former Wild forward Mikael Granlund in tight after a Wild turnover deep in their end.

“We played great those first 15 minutes,” Gustavsson said.

Play turned choppy near the end of the first period after both teams traded penalties, and the Wild started the second on a 4-on-3 power play but couldn’t capitalize. Overall, they went 0-for-4 and blanked on eight shots. Dallas was 1-for-4.

“We could have done a little bit better job on the power play,” Matt Boldy said, “myself included.”

Both sides were also getting stymied at even strength.

Jon Merrill broke up an attempted 2-on-1 pass by Marchment — the Wild sticking with the stingy style that suits them, especially when they’re without key players.

Aside from Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek still being on the mend, Marcus Foligno (upper-body injury) sat out a fourth consecutive game. Also missing was Jonas Brodin; the defenseman didn’t reaggravate the lower-body injury that kept him out nine games until he returned for Saturday’s 4-1 victory over Buffalo, but the Wild are being mindful of Brodin’s situation after being off for so long. He is considered day-to-day.

Declan Chisholm took Brodin’s spot in the lineup, but Chisholm didn’t finish the game.

“Blocked a shot,” Hynes said, “and then he didn’t come back after that.”

Chisholm’s exit left the Wild shorthanded on defense, but they mostly kept the Stars and their sixth-ranked offense in check.

BOXSCORE: Dallas 3, Wild 0

NHL standings

This test against the NHL’s highest-scoring teams, however, is just beginning.

After playing host Vegas, which has tallied the fifth-most goals, the Wild will welcome No. 1 Washington on Thursday as Alex Ovechkin chases Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record.

The Wild are still the Western Conference’s first wild card with 85 points, but St. Louis is only four points behind after the Blues’ six-game winning streak.

“If we play like this today,” Gustavsson said, “we give ourselves the chance to win against every team.”