Wild eliminate Stars to clinch first playoff series in 11 years

Sarah McLellan, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Apr 30, 2026

Published in Hockey

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ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Stars are going back to Dallas … but the Wild aren’t.

They eliminated the Stars with a 5-2 victory in Game 6 tonight at Grand Casino Arena to clinch their first playoff series in 11 years.

Next up is a second-round matchup with first-place Colorado.

Quinn Hughes’ second goal of the night snapped a 2-2 tie 10:38 into the third period, the superstar defenseman banking a shot in off Ilya Lyubushkin’s skate after a late tying goal from Vladimir Tarasenko in the second put the pressure back on Dallas to force a Game 7.

But the Stars couldn’t, not with Jesper Wallstedt playing an airtight third and finishing with 21 saves.

Matt Boldy added two empty-netters, his six goals leading the Wild in the playoffs, after Dallas pulled Jake Oettinger (16 saves) for an extra attacker.

This was only the second time in franchise history the Wild won a series 4-2, but they didn’t play like they were in unfamiliar territory.

Just 6:23 into the third period, a pinching Hughes polished off a slick transition by the Wild for his first playoff goal with the Wild.

The Stars countered — you guessed it — on the power play, when Wyatt Johnston buried a one-timer 7:01 into the second period before nabbing a 2-1 lead on a shot by Mavrik Bourque past a sprawled Wallstedt; that was Dallas’ first 5-on-5 goal in 254 minutes, 1 second.

But the Stars couldn’t savor it for long: Vladimir Tarasenko backhanded in his first goal of the postseason only 54 seconds later to set up the make-or-break third that the Wild won.

They advanced to the second round for the first time since 2015 and will start their series against the Avalanche on the road with a spot in the conference finals on the line.