The Minnesota Wild are officially playoff-bound after a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul. Matt Boldy scored twice to reach 40 goals, Kirill Kaprizov joined him at the 40-goal mark, and Ryan Hartman buried two late goals to close the door. The victory locks Minnesota into the postseason and gives the franchise another crack at winning a playoff series for the first time since 2015.
Boldy and Kaprizov carry the offense
Boldy’s two goals and Kaprizov’s second-period strike turned what had been a tight game firmly in Minnesota’s favor, with Mats Zuccarello serving as the setup man on several key chances. Goaltender Filip Gustavsson came up with timely saves, finishing with 30 stops to protect the lead, as reported by the Star Tribune. For those who want every shot and stat, the official game boxscore is posted on NHL.com.
What the clinch means
The Wild locked up their postseason berth 75 games into the regular season, a far cry from last year’s wait until the 82nd game, and with it erased some late-week anxiety around the team. Per the Associated Press via the Houston Chronicle, Minnesota was bounced in the first round last spring by the Vegas Golden Knights, a result that has the club focused on returning with the intention of going deeper. The Chronicle also notes that the Wild’s furthest run remains a conference finals appearance in 2003, and that they enter this postseason carrying the NHL’s longest active streak of consecutive winning seasons at 14.
Big-money bets and expectations
Minnesota has staked its future on Kaprizov, the star winger who signed an eight-year, 136 million dollar extension last fall that reshaped the franchise’s long-term outlook, according to Yahoo Sports. Kaprizov has backed up that investment by leading the Wild in scoring this season and serving as the engine of their offense. That blend of elite production and major financial commitment has only heightened expectations that this group can finally clear the first-round barrier that has blocked recent playoff runs.
Playoff picture and what’s next
With the postseason spot officially secured, the Wild sit near the top of the Central Division, and their opening series will likely begin on the road depending on how the final regular season games play out. Minnesota now heads into a back-to-back that starts Saturday in Ottawa as it closes out the schedule, per the Star Tribune. As the remaining games unfold, fans and front office watchers alike will be zeroed in on potential first-round matchups, the team’s health, and whether this version of the Wild can turn yet another winning season into a longer, more meaningful postseason run.
