ST. PAUL, Minn - Even with five regulars sidelined and an early goal against on Dallas’ first shot, the Minnesota Wild (17-9-5) never chased the game Thursday night. They didn’t open up. They didn’t press. Instead, they leaned into structure, trusted their five-man units, and quietly took control of the game where it mattered most.

Against one of the NHL’s most patient and efficient teams, that discipline was the difference.

The Dallas Stars (21-6-5) don’t overwhelm opponents with volume. They wait for mistakes, stretch coverage, and capitalize when structure breaks down. Minnesota didn’t give them much to work with.

By taking away space, blocking lanes, and staying connected through all three zones, the Wild muted Dallas’ top players at even strength and turned a shorthanded night into one of their most complete five-on-five performances of the season.

That formula has become a trend and it’s why Minnesota continues to look its best against the league’s best.

"Yeah, they’re a good team. Obviously, they’ve been playing really good hockey as of late and coming in here with a really good record," Zach Bogosian said. "I think we have guys that check hard, defend hard and we were ready for that."

That approach showed up early. Despite conceding the opening goal on Dallas’ first shot, Minnesota stayed layered through the neutral zone and denied clean entries. The Stars spent time in the offensive zone, but much of it came along the perimeter, forcing them to wait rather than attack with speed.

Wild head coach John Hynes echoed that assessment.

“I thought we played in strong units of five,” Hynes said. “There’s certain things that Dallas brings to the table that can challenge you. In those areas, we were disciplined and had strong structure.”

Mikko Rantanen entered the game with three goals and 11 assists in his last seven games. He had 30 shot attempts in that span as well. The Wild limited him to three shots and only five attempted.

“When we’re playing good, everyone’s on the same page,” Matt Boldy said. “It is a five-man unit. We’re making it hard, taking space away, blocking shots and doing the little things. I think that’s the biggest thing.”

Even without Jake Middleton and Jonas Brodin for 15 minutes, the Wild completely shutdown the Stars off the rush.

The Brodin and Brock Faber d-pair went a perfect 11-for-11 when it came to allowing no shots off the rush. Daemon Hunt and Jared Spurgeon did the exact same thing. 11-for-11. Zeev Buium and Bogosian went 4-for-4. 

On 30 rush attempts against, the Wild limited the Stars to one shot and one high-danger chance which came off the stick of Jason Robertson who entered Thursdays game leading the NHL with 61 high-danger chances.

“I don’t know. We just work hard and try to get them to play in their own end a little bit," Marcus Johansson said. "Yeah, when you let them skate and have room and have the puck, it’s going to be a long night. But work hard and I feel like Ekky does most of the job when we don’t have the puck, and he’s just unbelievable at it.”

According to Natural Stat Trick, the Wild limited the Stars to only five high-danger chances all game and only one in the third period. The Wild had 13.

As stated, Dallas’ offense isn’t built on volume. The Stars are patient by design. A possession team that waits for seams to open rather than force plays through traffic. Against Minnesota, those seams never appeared.

“They just wait for the perfect opportunity,” Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson said. “They’re not a volume team. Even though they didn’t have a shot the first 10 minutes, they were still in the zone and creating chances. They just don’t hit the net, I guess.”

Minnesota understood that patience and countered it by removing space instead of chasing the puck. The Wild closed quickly on the first touch, forced plays to the outside, and layered support through the middle of the ice. Dallas’ top players had time with the puck, but rarely had room to attack with speed.

“When you let them skate and have room and have the puck, it’s going to be a long night,” Marcus Johansson said. “But if you work hard and get them to play in their own end, you can manage it.”

I just think what is most impressive about this win was how, even with five regulars missing, the Wild didn't change the way they played based on the opponent or who was missing. They stuck to the same plan and identity that helps them win hockey games.

It rewarded them with another win over a top team.

That mindset has shaped how Minnesota approaches elite opponents. Against teams like Dallas and Colorado, the margin for error is thin, and the Wild have shown a growing comfort in playing within that margin rather than trying to outpace it. But yet they just treat every team the same.

“We treat every team with the same amount of respect,” Filip Gustavsson said. “Every team is a good team. I don’t know why we’re doing so much better against these types of teams. Maybe it’s that we can kind of follow them a little bit instead of being in the driver’s seat the whole game.”

As for Hynes, he pointed to preparation and discipline as the common threads in those performances.

“When you play these games, there has to be a high attention to detail,” Hynes said. “You can’t have half a team going. You have to be diligent in the way that you play and be prepared to do it.”

The Wild's mindset is just different right now.

In previous years this would have been a sure fire loss. Especially after the Stars scored on their first shot when Minnesota took a bad penalty after outshooting them 9-0.

But the Wild didn't break. They stayed connected and trusted the structure. That is the difference between teams that fade when the margins tighten and teams that carry their game into the spring.

"Yeah, I think it just speaks to the culture in the room. I think everyone’s ready for that next opportunity. Obviously, guys being out -- quite a few guys that are key parts of our team – gives guys other opportunities, whether it’s to get more minutes or special teams or whatnot. That’s how good teams get into the playoffs. That’s how good teams win the playoffs from top to bottom. It’s not just the 20 guys or 22 guys that are in the room. It’s guys getting called up. It’s guy working hard at practice and making sure that we’re all getting better together."

This looks like a team that understands what winning requires when space disappears and mistakes are punished. Those habits don’t show up by accident, and they don’t fade when the games get harder. They’re how teams reach the playoffs and how they survive once they get there.

There is a lot of hockey to be played, but this Wild team looks different. In moments like this, it’s hard not to see echoes of those early 2000s Jacques Lemaire teams. They are disciplined, connected, and comfortable winning games that never feel comfortable.

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