As the Dallas Stars finally broke through the Wild’s defensive lines and began to build a lead in the third period of Saturday night’s game, their future began to look decisively clearer.
With a dominant 3-0 lead over Minnesota late in the third period, the Stars took one of the final necessary steps in their regular season campaign. They clinched the first wild card spot in the Western Conference and officially locked up a berth in the Central division bracket.
But then, the final question came into play: who would be their first round opponent?