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Stargazing, A Dallas Stars Puckcast – Episode 323: First-Round Preview, Stars vs. Wild

We’re home. Wes and Mark preview the Round 1 action. Listen in.

Defending Big D's Stargazing podcast logo, featuring a Dallas Stars Victory Green cassette tape with tearaway jersey texture and nets over the sprocket holes, designed by Jason Lara
Logo design: Jason Lara | @NHLMaps

And here we are again. The Dallas Stars will face the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs — which probably says more about the NHL’s desperate need to revise their postseason format than anything, but that’s a question for another time, and at any rate it’s beyond the scope of this recording.

Rather, Wes and Mark would like to talk about how the Stars will approach the challenge at hand. In this episode of Stargazing, they discuss which players have the most to prove, how matchups will shape up given the crucial home-ice advantage, who stands to make the most of the playoffs, and so much more.

The two best players entering this series…? Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson have entered the chat. We’re Stargazing, and the stats will back us up on this. (We’ve got more, if you want it.)

Which Stars will shine in Round 1? Let’s talk about it in the comments. And please give us a rate, review, or share wherever you get your podcasts. It’s really all we think about these days.

Welcome to Stargazing. We love you.

The Dallas Stars are coming home to a best-of-three series after another overtime in Minnesota – this one ending in a loss. What's next? In this episode of Stargazing, Wes and Mark discuss everything from the Nils Lundkvist's injury to Thomas Harley's impact, and from the performance of the top line to Michael Bunting's possible fit into the lineup. Who needs to go off if the Stars want to close the deal? We're Stargazing, and we have our ideas. What did you see in Game 4? Let us know at Defending Big D. And please don’t forget to rate, review and share wherever you listen. Welcome to Stargazing. We love you. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
  1. Round 1, Game 4 Reactions
  2. Round 1, Game 3 Reactions
  3. Round 1, Game 2 Reactions
  4. Round 1, Game 1 Reactions
  5. First-Round Preview: Stars vs. Wild

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