Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov looks on during the second period against the Dallas Stars in Game 1 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoffs hockey series, Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Dallas, Texas. AP Great for ratings — unfortunate for players.  This Stars vs. Wild series is a perfect case as to why the NHL playoff format is flawed, pitting two contending teams against each other sooner rather than later.  This is fast, physical, and tightly contested hockey where the last couple of games have felt as though it could swing on a single bounce. The Stars clinched Game 3, 4-3, by way of a double-overtime power-play strike from Wyatt Johnston to go up 2-1 in the series.  Minnesota erased an early Dallas push with three unanswered goals from depth scorers, but this ultimately came down to special teams with four total power-play scores.…