Veteran forward Marcus Johansson had 11 goals in each of his first two seasons with the Minnesota Wild. On Thursday, he scored his 10th and 11th goals of this season in the third period, helping the Wild to a 5-2 win over the previously red-hot Dallas Stars.
Johansson had the eventual game-winner as the Wild’s offense created traffic around the Stars’ net much of the night. Dallas, which came to town on a 9-0-2 run, got power play and shorthanded goals, but fell for the first time in December.
Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson had 16 saves in the win, which snapped a streak that had seen Minnesota go its previous 15 games versus Dallas without a regulation win.
The Wild got a first-period goal from Joel Eriksson Ek, Zach Bogosian scored in the second, while Matt Boldy added an empty-net goal and two assists. Johansson’s second goal hit an empty net as well.
The Wild are now 8-0-2 in their past 10 home games.
The Wild tested Stars goalie Jake Oettinger thoroughly and repeatedly early in the game, outshooting Dallas 9-0 in the game’s first nine minutes. Then Ryan Hartman took a penalty, and the first Stars’ shot of the game, on the ensuing power play, was deflected past Gustavsson as the visitors took the early lead.
The deficit seemed to stun the Wild, who went the next seven minutes without a shot. But they forged a tie late in the first when Eriksson Ek popped in the rebound of a Matt Boldy shot. It was Eriksson Ek’s second goal in as many games.
Minnesota’s power play got its first chance early in the middle frame and controlled the offensive zone, getting pucks near – but not over – the goal line. It was the 30th consecutive penalty killed off by Dallas.
On the Wild’s second power play of the game, the Dallas penalty killers did one better, retaking the lead on a blast from the blue line. It was the first shorthanded goal the Wild have allowed this season.
Dallas appeared to take a 3-1 lead barely two minutes later, but Minnesota successfully challenged the play for offside, and what would have been Wyatt Johnston’s 17th goal of the year came off the board.
Then the Wild drew even again, when Bogosian ripped a shot from the blue line that beat Oettinger over the right shoulder. It was the first goal of the season for Bogosian, who missed 16 games due to injury in October and November.
Minnesota took its first lead near the midway point of the third when Boldy’s pinpoint cross-ice pass set up Johansson for a pop-in before Oettinger could get post to post.
Vying to be Team USA’s top goalie in the coming Olympics, Oettinger finished with 27 saves for the Stars, who had not lost a game in regulation since Nov. 18.
With forward Mats Zuccarello and defenseman Jake Middleton placed on injured reserve earlier in the day, forward Nicolas Aubé-Kubel and defenseman Matt Kiersted were called up from Iowa. Both skated in warmups, but neither was in the lineup versus Dallas.
The Wild, who are in the midst of a stretch where they have seven of eight games at home, next host Ottawa on Saturday afternoon.
Briefly
Members of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame’s class of 2025, who were officially inducted on Wednesday night in St. Paul, were introduced on the ice at Grand Casino Arena during the second intermission. Fans gave a warm ovation to Bloomington native Zach Parise, who spent nine seasons with the Wild and is fifth on the franchise’s all-time scoring list. In his induction speech, Parise thanked Wild owner Craig Leipold and then-general manager Chuck Fletcher for giving him the chance to play at home when Minnesota signed him in 2012.
Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) defends his net against Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek (14) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
ST PAUL, MINNESOTA – DECEMBER 11: Zach Parise acknowledges the crowd while being honored as a 2025 inductee into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame during a game between the Minnesota Wild and the Dallas Stars at Grand Casino Arena on December 11, 2025 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images)
