The Dallas Stars take aim at their third straight win over the Minnesota Wild and a berth in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs when the clubs face off at Xcel Energy Center for Game 6 tonight.
Jake Oettinger has been heating up in the Dallas net, while Roope Hintz has been causing all sorts of problems for the Minnesota defense. Can the Wild solve Oettinger and slow down Hintz in Game 6? We’ll discuss in our Stars vs Wild NHL picks and predictions for Friday, April 28.
Stars vs Wild Game 6 odds
Stars vs Wild series odds
| Team | To win | Win in 6 | Win in 7 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stars | -400 | -110 | +220 |
| Wild | +300 | N/A | +320 |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of April 28.
Stars vs Wild Game 6 predictions
Jake Oettinger stopped all 27 shots he faced in Game 5 to record his first shutout of the first round while Roope Hintz collected three assists en route to a 4-0 Stars win.
Oettinger has had his ups and downs in the series but still boasts an impressive .925 SV% and 2.19 GAA through five appearances. The Stars netminder has allowed just five goals through the Stars’ three victories so far.
The real star of the show for Dallas, however, has been Hintz. The center has four goals and seven assists for 11 points — tied for the league lead in scoring while sitting five points ahead of his next-closest teammates.
Hintz has been explosive against the Wild with two consecutive three-assist outings alongside a four-point performance — which included a hat-trick — in Game 2. Hintz also dominated against Minnesota in the regular season with four goals and seven points across four meetings, racking up a two-point game as well as another four-point outing that also featured a hat-trick back in December.
With the Stars trying to clinch the series and advance to the second round for the first time since 2020, look for Hintz to step up and find the scoresheet at least once in Game 6.
My best bet: Roope Hintz Over 0.5 Points (-161)
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Stars vs Wild Game 6 moneyline analysis
The Stars and Wild both opened at -106, but the hosts gained a slight edge at most books by the morning of gameday, sliding up to -115 or -120. While Minnesota could certainly push this to Game 7, I think Dallas owning the better goaltender and superior special teams gives it the edge tonight.
Oettinger had a couple hiccups in Games 2 and 3 but has posted a SV% of .938 or higher in the other three contests this series and seems to be finding his rhythm.
Down at the other end of the rink, Filip Gustavsson has also been strong in the Minnesota cage but he’s coming off back-to-back performances where he allowed three goals on just 24 shots — a lowly .875 SV%. Gustavsson gets the call again tonight for the Wild, but the Stars will feel confident that they’ve got his number.
Offensively, this series has largely been dictated by special teams, and that’s an area where Dallas has simply dominated. The Stars are converting on just over 40% of their power play opportunities with a league-leading nine goals on the man advantage this postseason. Meanwhile, the Wild power play is operating at 20% with just four goals total. It’s hard to see Minnesota making up the difference at five-on-five if this trend continues.
Stars vs Wild Game 6 Over/Under analysis
The total for Game 6 opened at 5.5 goals and held steady at most books by Friday morning. Given that the two teams generally play to lower-scoring games, I’m going with the Under tonight.
The Under has cashed in each of the last two meetings and six of the last eight overall. Dallas and Minnesota have combined for five goals or fewer in seven of their last 10 matchups, while only one game in this series has featured more than six total goals.
I suspect we’ll see a goalie duel of sorts as Oettinger has been heating up for the Stars, while Gustavsson will need to rebound with a strong performance in the Wild net to give his team a chance at staying in the series.
Oettinger has allowed more than two goals just four times in his last 13 appearances, while Gustavsson has surrendered more than two in five of his last 11 outings.
Stars vs Wild betting trend to know
The Stars are 6-1 in their last seven games after allowing two goals or less in their previous contest. Find more NHL betting trends for Stars vs Wild.
Stars vs Wild Game 6 game info
| Location: | Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN |
| Date: | Friday, April 28, 2023 |
| Puck drop: | 9:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | TBS |
