Rémi Poirier had nothing on the scoreboard to protect for the first 35:33. Dallas had not scored. Minnesota had not scored either, and keeping the second part true was his contribution to the Stars’ long wait.
Poirier finished with 24 saves in Wednesday’s 2-0 preseason victory over the Wild at American Airlines Center. Matthew Seminoff supplied the first goal late in the second period, and Esa Lindell added another in the third. The offense arrived gradually. Poirier gave it time.
The Stars began training camp at Frisco’s Comerica Center on Sept. 17. A week into that preparation, this was a useful individual performance to carry forward: a goaltender facing a game with little scoring support and finishing without allowing a goal. It offers something more concrete than the usual preseason enthusiasm, even though it cannot settle Dallas’ longer-term plans in net.
The first period was light on shots. Minnesota put five on goal and Dallas four, with Poirier and Jesper Wallstedt stopping everything. A small opening workload can make a shutout seem inevitable in hindsight. It was not. The absence of a Dallas goal meant the first Minnesota finish would have put the Stars behind.
Poirier did not allow it. The Wild added eight shots on goal in the second period, raising their total to 13 through 40 minutes. Dallas finally gave him a lead at 15:33 of that frame, when Seminoff scored at even strength with Kyle Capobianco assisting. After more than half the game, the saves began protecting an advantage instead of a tie.
There was still little room for a mistake. The Stars’ 1-0 lead lasted 15:06, and Minnesota remained one finish from drawing level throughout that stretch. Wallstedt was doing enough at the other end to keep it close. He stopped 22 of Dallas’ 24 shots, allowing the Wild to stay within reach well into the third.
That opposing performance is part of what made Poirier’s night valuable. Dallas did not build a large lead and ask its goaltender merely to avoid a collapse. The Stars waited a long time for one goal and another long stretch for the second. Poirier kept both waits from turning into a chase.
Lindell scored at 10:39 of the third, with Capobianco and Artem Shlaine assisting. With 9:21 remaining, Dallas finally had a two-goal margin. The Wild nevertheless finished the third with 11 shots on goal, more than in either earlier period. Poirier stopped all 11 to complete the shutout.
He was the only Dallas goaltender used, with 59:29 recorded. Minnesota’s final total matched Dallas’ 24 shots on goal, though matching volume does not establish matching difficulty. There is no need to describe every save as a rescue. Stopping all 24 was valuable enough in a game decided by two goals.
