What Is the Wild’s Path To Home Ice Advantage? – Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild have already punched their ticket to the playoffs, but Thursday’s matchup in Dallas could have major playoff implications. If the Wild beat the Dallas Stars, they would put themselves in a strong position to take home-ice advantage in the first round, a swing that could matter a lot in what looks like a tightly-matched series. Dallas holds the edge in the standings, but Minnesota is close enough to make this game feel like more than just a regular-season finale. 

The basic path is simple: Minnesota needs to beat the Stars on Thursday and keep the pressure on them in the final stretch. Before Thursday’s game, Dallas sat ahead of the Wild in the Central Division, and the team that finishes with more points will get home ice in the opening round. Minnesota isn’t chasing a miracle here; it is chasing a realistic chance to flip the matchup and force the Stars to start the series in St. Paul instead of Texas. 

That matters because home ice can change the shape of a playoff series. It gives a team the chance to control the environment in two of the first three games, and it can be especially valuable in a series that may go long. The Wild have played well enough this season to indicate they can beat Dallas in a series, and they already lead the season series 2-1-0 heading into Thursday’s game. In a matchup this close, one home game can be the difference between setting the tone and playing catch-up. 

Minnesota’s case gets even stronger when you look at how the tiebreakers work. If the teams finish tied in points, the first tiebreaker is regulation wins, followed by regulation and overtime wins, then total wins. That means a Wild win on Thursday is not just about the two points in the standings. It also helps Minnesota stay alive in a race where every game can affect the final seed and whether the first-round series opens on home ice.

The Wild also have reasons to feel good about their matchup. They have shown they can generate offense against Dallas, with players like Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, and Vladimir Tarasenko producing in the season series. Boldy scored 2 goals and recorded 2 assists, Kaprizov recorded 1 goal and 2 assists, and Tarasenko scored 1 goal and 3 assists. 

Minnesota’s road record (23-11-4) has also been solid enough to suggest the team is not dependent on home ice to compete. Still, they have a meaningful advantage when they get the last change and a crowd behind them in the playoffs. 

Of course, Dallas is a tough opponent and has earned its spot near the top of the division. The Stars have been strong enough all year to place themselves in line for home ice advantage, and they have the kind of depth that makes them dangerous in any format. But the Wild are close enough that Thursday’s result could reshape the entire playoff setup, especially if Minnesota can win and keep the pressure on heading into the final games.

For the Wild, this is the kind of game that can define a spring. A win would boost Minnesota’s confidence and give it a legitimate shot at opening the series at home, where the atmosphere should be electric. In a matchup this balanced, that edge could matter more than ever. 

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