Austin Konenski
The first 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff Series has been announced. The Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild will match up in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the NHL announced on Tuesday night. Dallas and Minnesota cannot pass the Colorado Avalanche for first in the Central Division.
Two points separate the Stars and Wild with four games remaining, so the fight over the next week will be for seeding purposes. Dallas owns the tiebreaker over Minnesota with more regulation wins during the 2025-26 NHL season. Therefore, if Minnesota wants home-ice advantage in their first Stanley Cup Playoff Series, it will need to score three more points than Dallas to close out the regular season.
The two organizations play each other on Thursday, April 9, at 9:00 p.m. ET, so that matchup will likely determine whether the Wild have a chance. If Minnesota loses in regulation, it will need Dallas to lose out while the team beats the Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, and Anaheim Ducks.
If the Wild win on Thursday, they will be tied with the Stars in the standings. The organization would have to outscore Dallas by one point over its remaining three games. The Stars will play the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Buffalo Sabres.
The Wild have won two of the three games against the Stars in the season series, with the next game determining the final record. Despite the two losses, Dallas has more regulation wins and points over the first 78 games of the 2025-26 NHL season.
Dallas and Minnesota are ready to battle in their first Stanley Cup Playoff matchup since 2023. The Stars won that series in six games, but the Wild look for redemption.
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