Stars at Wild
The Dallas Stars likely will have to win out to have a chance to squeeze into the playoffs and the schedule certainly does not favor them the rest of the way. After finally ending an eight-game winless drought (0-6-2), the Stars will visit the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night in the front end of a home-and-home series.
Dallas kept its fading postseason hopes alive by pulling out a dramatic 3-2 overtime win over Philadelphia on Tuesday, but it sits five points out of a playoff slot and plays four of its last five away from home. "We live to fight another day," coach Ken Hitchcock said after his team ended its longest winless streak since moving to Dallas in 1993. "We've got to go win a road game. That's the player's attitude; one game at a time." Minnesota, which finishes the season with three road games against Pacific Division foes, extended its point streak to six games (3-0-3) as it attempts to lock down third place in the Central Division. "You don't want to wait going through the gauntlet in California needing all three wins or something like that," Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk said after Tuesday's 2-1 shootout loss at NHL-best Nashville. "We've been playing some good hockey and some good playoff-like hockey. So it's nice for us. We have to keep going."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network
ABOUT THE STARS (39-30-8): Tyler Seguin eschewed an opportunity to reach 40 goals for the first time when, on a 2-on-0 breakaway in overtime, he opted to pass to Alexander Radulov for the game-winning tally against Philadelphia. "I knew he wasn't going to miss that," Seguin said of Radulov, and his second assist did provide another milestone in the form of his 500th career point. Seguin notched a goal and two assists in the last meeting with the Wild and has 22 points in the last 17 games.
ABOUT THE WILD (42-24-10): Eric Staal scored Minnesota's lone goal Tuesday and in the process etched his name in the history books. It was the team-leading 40th goal for Staal, enabling him to join the legendary Gordie Howe as the only players to go nine seasons between 40-goal campaigns. "Year-to-year, I don't think about specific numbers," Staal said. "This year, it's just been a year where it's kind of snowballed goal-scoring wise. I've been on the right end of some pretty good plays."
OVERTIME
1. Staal needs two goals to match the franchise record of 42, set by Marian Gaborik.
2. Dallas had lost four in a row in the series before a 6-1 romp at home on Feb. 3.
3. Minnesota is 1-for-24 on the power play over the past nine games.