All the Dallas Stars could ask for in the last week of the NHL’s regular season was a chance for their playoff destiny to return to their control. Four straight wins, along with a Red Wings victory over the Blackhawks Sunday afternoon, have given them that opportunity. With that Detroit 4-3 regulation win, the Stars only need a non-shootout victory to earn their first playoff birth since 2008.
Dallas is in Minnesota to take on the Wild at 5:00 CDT. The Wild are out of the playoffs, so their only motivation will be to knock out the Stars, the franchise that left the Twin Cities 18 years ago and won its first Stanley Cup six years later, out of the playoffs. Kari Lehtonen will start once again in net for the Stars. Lehtonen has allowed just four goals in Dallas’ last three games. Jose Theodore got the win for the Wild Friday against Edmonton, stopping 28 of 29 shots. He could get the start Sunday. The game can be seen on TXA 21 in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area.