Game 6 Stars vs Wild Odds, Preview & Picks (Apr 28)

• The Dallas Stars look to close out the Minnesota Wild on Friday, April 28th
• Jake Oettinger has allowed just two goals on 61 shots in the last two games
• Find the Stars vs Wild odds below, plus a full preview and our best bets

In the first round of last year’s playoffs, Jake Oettinger stole the headlines, rising to prominence after posting a .954 save percentage and almost stealing a seven-game series against the Flames. Suddenly, it looks like the netminder has got his playoff mojo back which could spell the end of the Minnesota Wild.

On Friday, April 28th, Oettinger will look to continue the stellar play that saw him shutout the Wild in Game 5 as the Stars and Wild meet up in Game 6 at the XCel Energy Center. Faceoff is scheduled for 9:30 pm ET in a game that can be seen on TBS and Sportsnet 360.

Below, you can have a look at the Stars vs Wild odds for Game 6 as we’ll also offer up our best bet and picks for this matchup.

Stars vs Wild Game 6 Odds

No disrespect to the Kraken, but with the second-year franchise having the defending Cup champs on the ropes, the winner of this series must be salivating at the very realistic chance of meeting Seattle instead of Colorado in the next round of the NHL Playoff Bracket.

Right now, Dallas has the edge with a 3-2 series lead, but the Wild are slight -125 home favorites to force a Game 7. Expected to be a low-scoring series from the start, the over/under is once again set at just 5.5 goals.

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Do or Die For Minnesota in Friday NHL Odds

For the Wild to force a deciding Game 7, they’re going to need more from their top two goal scorers during the regular season, specifically, Kirill Kaprizov. He’s got only one goal in this series and that came in Game 1, while Matthew Boldy has yet to find the twine. During the regular season, the two wingers combined for 71 markers.

Over the last two contests, the Wild have scored just two goals after finding the back of the net 11 times in the first three games of this series. Luckily for them, Filip Gustavsson stole one and is doing everything he can to hold his own against Oettinger and keep Minny’s season alive.

Oettinger vs Gustavsson Series’ Stats

Over the past two games, there is no doubt that Gustavsson has been outplayed by the man at the other end of the rink, but he can’t be faulted much in giving up three goals each outing while the offense has dried up.

Special teams have been a serious issue for Minnesota in this series, especially magnified with the absence of Joel Eriksson Ek. The centerman is an ace on the penalty kill and man advantage, but has played only one game in this series due to injury. It’s unclear if he’ll be ready to go for Game 6.

Evason said Eriksson Ek is out tonight and then looked at media relations guy and said, “I don’t think we have anything announced,” so that doesn’t sound good

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) April 23, 2023

For the first time in the series, Minnesota failed to score a power play goal last game, going 0-for-3 with the man advantage. Overall, they are 4-for-20 clicking at just 16%, but it’s the penalty kill where they’ve really struggled. Dallas is 9-for-22 in the series on the power play, rendering the Wild’s shorthanded unit futile with a 59.1% kill rate.

Hintz Surprise Leader In Playoff Scoring

While Oettinger is without a doubt the key to success for Dallas and has outplayed his goaltending counterparts, it’s time for everyone to take notice of Roope Hintz. He’s figured in on 11 of the Stars 17 goals in the series. You figure a name like McDavid, Draisaitl or MacKinnon might be leading the playoff points race, but guess again.

2023 NHL Playoff Scoring Leaders

**Prior to Thursday’s Games**

Hintz has assists on all but one of the Stars’ seven goals in their last two games, both victories. One of the more unheralded players in the league, the Finnish forward had a career year this season, notching 75 points and has really stepped it up in the absence of veteran Joe Pavelski.

With optimism that Pavelski may return in Game 6, everything seems to be swinging the Stars way over the past few days, even though they’re underdogs in the NHL odds. In their last seven games after allowing two goals or less in the previous contest, Dallas owns a 6-1 record.

Stars vs Wild Prediction – NHL Playoffs Game 6

This is one of those playoff matchups that has had the feeling of a seven-game war right from the outset, but the momentum has swung tremendously over the last week. Everything seems to be going against the Wild, from penalty calls to bounces, and perhaps most importantly, injuries.

Mats Zuccarello and Ryan Hartman not practicing for #mnwild

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) April 27, 2023

On top of what Eriksson Ek is dealing with, Mats Zuccarello and Ryan Hartman both are banged up and missed practice Thursday and Karpizov is obviously laboring.

All signs point to Dallas finishing off the Stars in Game 6. It might be a good time to sprinkle some cash on them in the Stanley Cup odds. If they move on and Seattle manages to close out Colorado, Dallas should have the easiest second-round matchup of any contender. For now, our prediction is the Stars end things Friday.

Pick: Dallas Stars Moneyline (-105)