DALLAS — The Wild are keeping their Game 1 lineup vs. the Stars under wraps.
"We're going to make decisions game by game, including our starting goaltender," coach Dean Evason said on Monday. "Could be different every game. Could be the same. We've talked about that a lot this year. Everybody knows how we've handled our goaltenders, and that'll be the same. But no different with our lineups, as well."
Filip Gustavsson was the first goaltender off the ice during the team's morning skate at American Airlines Center, which usually indicates the night's starter.
Gustavsson ended the regular season with the second-best goals-against average (2.10) and save percentage (.931) in the entire NHL. He went 1-1 against Dallas, posting a 1.97 goals-against average and .939 save percentage.
Joel Eriksson Ek (lower-body injury) also skated but was not among the early exits. Still, that's three days in a row he's been skating since he was sidelined by a shot block on April 6 at Pittsburgh.
John Klingberg didn't get on the ice after suffering a lower-body issue during practice on Saturday. The Wild had Jon Merrill step into that spot alongside Brock Faber, who is poised to make his playoffs debut just three games into his NHL career.
"He's been a captain on his team," Evason said. "He's a very mature person. He plays the game in a mature way, but he conducts himself off the ice the same way."
Projected lineup:
