Wild vs. Stars Game 6: Quinn Hughes scores 2, Minnesota advances to 2nd round

ST. PAUL, Minn. — While some contend that jinxes aren’t real, good omens definitely are.

Twelve years to the day after Nino Niederreiter’s Game 7 overtime winner in Denver gave the Minnesota Wild their first playoff series win in 11 years, the Wild advanced past the first round for the first time in … 11 years on Thursday night, rallying to eliminate the Dallas Stars in six games with a 5-2 win.

After eight consecutive first-round exits, the Wild will get to play past Round 1 for the first time since beating the St. Louis Blues in the 2015 Western Conference quarterfinal.

Waiting in the wings are the Colorado Avalanche, the NHL’s best team from start to finish this season. The Wild went 2-1-1 against them during the regular season, with each team winning once in regulation and each team winning once in a shootout.

Fittingly, in a season in which things were largely supposed to be different because of the winter’s blockbuster trade for a superstar defenseman, it was Quinn Hughes who scored two humongous goals in the victory.

Hughes’ game-winner came with 9:22 left when his shot toward the net ricocheted in off defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin’s right skate.

Hughes also assisted on Vladimir Tarasenko’s goal, which came as an answer just 54 seconds after Mavrik Bourque’s goal had given the Stars a lead in the second. It was Tarasenko’s 50th career playoff goal.

The game ended fittingly, with two Matt Boldy empty-netters — the first after Jamie Benn, who earlier in the series slew-footed and cross-checked Boldy in the head, coughed it up.

Jesper Wallstedt made 22 saves to become the first rookie goalie in Wild history to win a playoff round. The loss ends Dallas’ season after three consecutive trips to the conference final.

The finale of an evenly matched series was a tight-checking, physical affair, with Minnesota once again doing a masterful job defending the Stars at even strength. The Wild outscored the Stars 14-4 at five-on-five in six games.

The Avs will be another animal, with the starpower of Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Martin Necas. And the Wild look like they could be without stalwart defenseman Jonas Brodin for a bit.

But this was one impressive series win against the regular-season’s third-best team with 112 points. The Wild will head into the second round soaring with confidence.