The Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild meet in a pivotal Game 3 with the series tied, setting up a tightly contested battle between two of the Western Conference’s top teams.
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Apr 20, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) and Minnesota Wild right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) look for the puck during the first period in game two of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
How to Watch Stars vs Wild
- When: Wednesday, April 22, 2026
- Time: 9:30 PM ET
- TV Channel: TNT / truTV
- Live Stream: DIRECTV (try for free)
This series has already delivered swings in momentum, with Minnesota opening with a 6–1 win in Game 1 before Dallas responded with a 4–2 victory in Game 2 to even the series 1–1.
Both teams were among the best in the Central Division during the regular season, with the Stars finishing 50–20–12 (112 points) and the Wild 46–24–12 (104 points), highlighting how evenly matched this matchup is on paper. Dallas also entered the playoffs in strong form, riding a five-game winning streak to close the regular season, while Minnesota has shown it can generate explosive offense when its top players get going.
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Game 3 could come down to execution in key moments, especially with both teams trading standout performances early in the series. Dallas leaned on contributors like Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson in its Game 2 response, while Minnesota has been powered by stars like Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy. Goaltending and depth remain major factors; Jake Oettinger’s performance is critical for Dallas, while Minnesota continues to balance strong play from Jesper Wallstedt with lineup adjustments due to injuries.
With the series shifting to Minnesota, expect a physical, low-margin game where capitalizing on chances and limiting mistakes will likely decide who takes control.
This is a great NHL matchup that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.
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