The Minnesota Wild defeated the Dallas Stars 5-2 in Game 6 on Thursday for their first series victory since 2015. The Wild lost eight straight series over that span.
Quinn Hughes scored the go-ahead tally midway through the third period. He produced two goals and an assist in the victory.
ANOTHER ONE FOR QUINN HUGHES! 🚨 #StanleyCup
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Matt Boldy added a pair of empty-netters in the final minutes. Goaltender Jesper Wallstedt, who entered the contest with a .926 save percentage in the playoffs, stopped 22 of 24 shots.
The Wild will play the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche in Round 2. The Central Division foes have met three times before in the playoffs, with Minnesota winning the most recent meeting in 2014.
Dallas had reached the Western Conference Final three seasons in a row before losing Thursday. The club replaced former head coach Pete DeBoer with Glen Gulutzan following last year's elimination.
The Stars-Wild matchup was one of the most anticipated of Round 1. The two clubs ranked second and third in the Western Conference, respectively. Minnesota was the superior team for the entire series, outscoring Dallas 14-4 at five-on-five.
