After dropping Game 1 in the PWHL semifinals to the Toronto Sceptres 3-2, the Frost won Games 2 and 3 behind a barrage of goal scoring, winning 5-3 and then 7-5 in front of an announced crowd of 3,917 fans Sunday evening at Xcel Energy Center.

That Game 3 final score is more common to see in a tennis set rather than a typical low-scoring playoff hockey game.

“I think it’s a fan’s dream and a coach’s nightmare, a 7-5 playoff game,” said Frost coach Ken Klee. “But you know what? We found a way to win, and that’s the most important thing.”

Frost coach Ken Klee said he hadn’t “really been apart of a game like that before,” of Sunday’s Game 3 with a 7-5 final score, in favor of Minnesota. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

Indeed, the victory puts the Frost in a good position, up 2-1 in the best-of-five series. The teams will meet for Game 4 at 6 p.m. Wednesday in St. Paul, with the Frost having an opportunity to close out the series by upsetting Toronto for a second consecutive year.

The Frost, which struggled to score goals at times down the stretch, have pumped in 25 goals over their last five games since they were shut out 2-0 by last-place New York in the Frost’s last regular-season home game on April 27. That offensive production has helped Minnesota win four of their last five games, including two must-wins on the road to help make the playoffs, followed by back-to-back wins against Toronto, the second-place team in the six-team PWHL standings.

Highest-scoring PWHL game ever
Their latest offensive outburst turned into a race to the finish as Toronto and Minnesota were part of the highest-scoring game in PWHL history in Game 3. Minnesota got out to a quick 3-0 lead by the 7:48 mark of the first period, before Toronto even had a shot on goal, causing Toronto coach Troy Ryan to call timeout and settle things down.

Frost fourth-line center Liz Schepers got in alone with goaltender Kristen Campbell and didn’t miss, scoring just 2 minutes, 33 seconds into the game. Schepers had just two goals in 27 games in the regular season, but she was also a catalyst for Minnesota’s playoff run last year, scoring a goal and four assists in 10 playoff games. “Playoff Liz,” as teammate Michela Cava called her.

Frost forward Liz Schepers skates in alone toward the Toronto goal before scoring the first goal of the game in Sunday’s first period of Game 3. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

Klee praised Schepers’ great habits, adding that she does a lot of things well but “doesn’t always get rewarded for it.”

“I think any time you get to the postseason, you want to turn it up a notch,” Schepers said. “Our whole team has done a really great job of that. Obviously, we came in, it felt like our playoffs started with three games left in the regular season, and we continually got better and dialed it up a little bit more.

“So, it’s great to contribute, and it takes everybody to win at this time of year. Happy to be a part of that.”

After Schepers got the scoring started Sunday, rookie Brooke McQuigge scored the first of her two goals for a 2-0 lead, and then the Frost’s hottest-scoring player lately, defender Lee Stecklein, scored her third goal of the playoffs for her sixth goal in her last five PWHL games. Stecklein scored her three regular-season goals in the last two games of the season.

Depth shows on the scoresheet
Though the Frost led the entire game, Toronto kept pace and got within a goal twice, trailing 3-2 and 5-4. But then Cava, who’s won four consecutive hockey championships in four different leagues, scored back-to-back goals two minutes apart in the third period to help put the lead out of reach. The Sceptres gave Cava plenty of space to walk through the slot and fire a backhander into the net, while her second tally was a power-play goal on the backdoor on a feed from Stecklein.

The Frost went 2-for-4 on the power play Sunday and scored seven goals on 24 shots. Toronto scored its five goals on 23 shots against goalie Maddie Rooney. Not a lot of shots on net, but still a high-scoring game.

“Some broken plays,” Ryan said. “A lot of people directed pucks to the net and getting sticks on them. I think on both sides, I think both goaltenders would probably like a couple of them back.”

Brooke McQuigge fought through Toronto players in front to score one of her two goals in Game 3. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

A total of 21 players had points in the game, with 11 registering multi-point efforts. Defender Sophie Jaques had a goal and assist for the second consecutive game, while blue-liner Mellissa Channell-Watkins had two assists. Kendall Coyne Schofield had a game-high 5 shots on goal along with two assists. Taylor Heise had three assists, including a great drop-pass to Stecklein on her goal. For the Sceptres, Blayre Turnbull, Kali Flanagan and Daryl Watts each had a goal and an assist.

“I think obviously it was a good offensive game for both teams,” Cava said. “I think it’s just about cleaning up little things.

“We all know that five goals against is not the way we wanted the game to go. I think we’ll really clean that up and just continue to score goals.”

Floodgates open for Frost, on similar path to last year
Ever since getting shut out a couple of weeks ago, scoring goals hasn’t been a problem for Minnesota. First, it was a 3-0 victory in Ottawa. Then, the Frost showed up for its highest-scoring game of the season, netting eight goals in Boston for a 8-1 win that helped secure the final playoff spot.

They’ve gotten scoring from multiple forward lines and defensive pairings. It’s that depth that is one of their strengths, Klee said.

“We try to rely on it when we need to,” Klee said. “We’re trying to be the best team. We’re not trying to be the best player or individual. It’s something we kind of preach from day one. And we know it worked for us last year, so we’re trying as best as we can to keep it going.”

Michela Cava scored the last two Frost goals of the game, which turned out to be the game-winners. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

The Frost have followed a similar path to last year’s run to the postseason and playoff series, even though the team acknowledges this is not the way they’d like to draw it up. In 2024, Minnesota lost its final five regulation-season games, got help to make the playoffs as the 4-seed, then were shut out twice in Toronto before getting a reverse sweep. Then they beat Boston in five games to win the Walter Cup.

This season, the Frost returned from the international break in late April needing points and wins to make the playoffs. Goal scoring was tougher to come by. But they’ve come up clutch when it matters most. Minnesota has a belief and confidence within its locker room, no matter how difficult the road to victory may seem. That’s a theme carried over from last season.

“I just think the experience we have in this room from last year, from previous teams we’re all coming from, we’ve had a lot of success and fortunate to lean on that,” Schepers said. “Our leaders do a great job of keeping everybody focused on the main thing, which is playing our brand of hockey. Because we see the success that we have when we do that.”

Added Cava: “We play and we don’t quit. We knew during the season that we were really fast and a really skilled team. Obviously, we lost that a few times throughout the year. But going into the playoffs and those last two games, we knew that we had another level. And you could really see everybody just embrace that and just play with the physicality that other teams don’t want to play with.”

Lee Stecklein (left) and Taylor Heise (middle) skate back toward the Frost bench to celebrate Stecklein’s goal which made it a 3-0 game early in the first period on Sunday. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

Turning to Game 4, Klee said he expects Toronto’s best game as the Sceptres try to keep their season alive. Minnesota will attempt to end a playoff series before reaching the winner-take-all Game 5. But even when their backs are against the wall, the Frost find a way. Going back to last season’s playoffs, Minnesota is 6-0 in must-win, elimination games.

It’ll be about keeping the spirits high on the bench, Cava said, with Schepers adding that it’s also important to not get too high with the highs or too low with the lows.

“This league is too good,” Schepers said. “All the teams are too tight to think you’re in the clear in any way. So, keeping our foot on the gas for sure going into this elimination game, we know it’s going to be the toughest one.”

Gallery: PWHL Semifinals Game 3, Sceptres vs. Frost

The post Icy Hot appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Those days are finally past.

Zach Parise and Ryan Suter’s contracts are mostly off the books — their terminated deals will still count $1.7 million against the cap for the next three years — and that means Guerin is largely free of the financial shackles that impeded his ability to aggressively pursue free agents.

This doesn’t mean Guerin will throw money around on July 1 when free agency begins. The Wild plan on devoting a good chunk of cap space to winger Kirill Kaprizov in what will be a busy summer.

Here are three areas that will be addressed:

Locking up the franchise player
Wild owner Craig Leipold said last fall that no team would offer Kaprizov more money or a longer contract than the Wild. Kaprizov, who has one season left on his five-year, $45 million contract, is eligible to be offered an extension starting July 1.

With the Parise/Suter contracts off the books, signing Kaprizov to an eight-year deal this offseason should be a priority for the Wild. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

The Wild can pay Kaprizov more because they have the ability to offer an eight-year contract. If Kaprizov elects to play out his contract and become a free agent after next season, teams can only offer him a seven-year deal.

The Wild have no intention of letting it get to that.

Kaprizov, 28, is the Wild’s first superstar and his importance to the franchise is clear to everyone. He was one of the leading candidates for the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s MVP this season before being sidelined by a lower body injury that required surgery just after Christmas.

Kaprizov only played 41 games and still finished second on the Wild with 25 goals and third with 56 points. He returned late in the regular season and had five goals and nine points in six playoff games.

Kaprizov’s new contract would not kick in until 2026-27.

The NHL salary cap will rise from $88 million this season to $95.5 million for 2025-26. The projections for the following two seasons are $104 million and $113.5 million.

Given the upcoming cap increases, Kaprizov’s reps likely will start by asking for $15 million to $16 million in average annual value over eight years. The Wild have little choice but to capitulate given the fact Kaprizov is holding all of the cards.

“I’m very confident that we’re going to get a deal done with Kirill,” Guerin said. “He really loves this market and this team. I think he feels that we’re going in the right direction.”

Center of attention
Anyone who watched the Wild’s first-round playoff loss could see the team’s lack of a true No. 1 center was a problem. That is nothing new and it’s an issue that Guerin wants to solve. He said the center position will be a focus in free agency, adding that he “wouldn’t be opposed to a scoring winger, either.”

Joel Eriksson Ek is a quality center, but ideally he would slot into the No. 2 or No. 3 slot and play on more of a grind-it-out line.

But here’s the issue: Finding a top-line center isn’t easy and they don’t often hit the open market.

That’s what makes this so interesting for Guerin.

The top centers set to become free agents this July include Toronto’s John Tavares, Florida’s Sam Bennett, Colorado’s Brock Nelson and Dallas’ Matt Duchene. Only Bennett is under age 30 from that group and he will turn 29 on June 20. There are reports that Tavares wants to return to the Maple Leafs and that the Panthers are going to make a push to re-sign Bennett.

Nelson is a Warroad native and there has been speculation that the Wild will bring him home. However, he will turn 34 on Oct. 15 and signing him to a multi-year contract with any type of no-trade protection (which everyone gets these days) comes with plenty of risk.

Guerin’s best option might be the trade market. This wouldn’t be cheap, but the Wild’s prospect pool was ranked second in the NHL by The Athletic this year. That gives Guerin some quality ammunition in trade talks.

Marco Rossi played in all 82 games with the Wild in each of the past two seasons. He scored 21 goals and 40 points in 2023-24 but jumped to 24 goals and 60 points in 2024-25. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

One player Guerin could offer is winger Liam Ohgren. Ohgren has played in 28 games for the Wild over the past two seasons but has spent the majority of that time in Iowa. The Wild brass claims to remain high on the 21-year-old, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he was the centerpiece of a package for a top-line center.

The Wild also could offer restricted free agent center Marco Rossi. The ninth-overall pick in the 2020 draft, Rossi finished second on the Wild with 60 points this season. His 24 goals were third on the team and he was one of only three Wild players to appear in all 82 games.

However, Rossi was demoted to the fourth line in the playoffs, and it seems likely the team and player could agree to a mutual parting of ways this offseason.

One thing the Wild don’t have to offer is their 2025 first-round pick — that went to Columbus in the trade for defenseman David Jiricek.

Centers who might be available on the trade market this summer could include Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson and the Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad. Both, however, are coming off disappointing seasons.

Another name to keep an eye on is Detroit captain Dylan Larkin.

Larkin expressed his displeasure with the Red Wings’ lack of activity at the trade deadline in March, leading to speculation about his future in Detroit. Larkin’s frustration is understandable considering the Red Wings’ last playoff appearance came during his rookie season in 2015-16.

The Michigan native has a no-trade clause and five years remaining on the eight-year, $69.6 million contract he signed in 2023. Larkin’s cap hit is $8.7 million per season.

It appears a long shot Larkin would be dealt — or approve a trade — but he’s had four consecutive 30-goal seasons and even the hint that he might be available makes it worth Guerin’s time to put a call into Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman.

Liam Ohgren scored two goals and three assists in 24 games with the Minnesota Wild in 2024-25. He spent 41 games with the Iowa Wild this season, scoring 19 goals and 37 points. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

About that scoring winger
If Guerin acquired a center in a deal involving Ohgren, odds are he would turn to the free-agent market to pursue a scoring winger to fit into the top six. The Wild are projected to have $20.6 million in salary cap space for 2025-26, according to PuckPedia.

The top free agent on the market will be Toronto’s Mitch Marner, but he likely will end up in Toronto or getting a massive deal elsewhere.

Signing Nikolaj Ehlers away from the Winnipeg Jets would not only help the Wild but weaken a Central Division opponent. The 29-year-old winger has scored more than 20 goals in eight of his nine seasons with the Jets and had six power-play goals this season.

The Wild also could look to bring home right winger Brock Boeser after nine seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. The 28-year-old Burnsville native had his goal output drop from 40 to 25 this season, but it was a tumultuous year in Vancouver that impacted many players on the team.

The post Guerin’s To-Do List appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

These stats were padded with another chapter when the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Wild 3-2 in Game 6 Thursday night to close out the series, 4-2.

To add salt to the wound, this stat was posted from the @OptaSTATS account on Twitter/X just before midnight after the loss:

“The Wild are the first team in MLB/NBA/NFL/NHL history to make the playoffs 8+ times in a 10-year span but lost in the opening round every time.”

So yes, Minnesota sports and all that.

“We hear the noise of getting by the first round,” said Wild forward Marcus Foligno. “We understand it. We really felt like we could have done it this year, and that’s the disappointing part, right? But we always want to be a team that has commitment and will and sacrifice and comes together as a family, and that’s what our fans deserve.”

Minnesota Wild fans waved their rally towels at Xcel Energy Center during Game 6. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

Writing “same old Wild” and ending the piece here wouldn’t be much of a story. Besides, it’s already been typed probably hundreds of times on social media by diehard and casual hockey fans.

While some of those franchise stats are the same when it comes to the playoffs, this season and playoff series was not the “same old Wild.” It’s okay for disappointment with the overall results – the win/loss record – while also enjoying the good chapters written along the way. Sports offer incredible moments, memories and amazing plays, along with frustration, anger and heartbreak.

“It’s tough,” Foligno said. “I mean, especially when you felt like you deserved better, right?

“It’s unfortunate we just couldn’t get our looks and get our bounces and move on like they did.”

Capitalizing on chances, miscues make or break a series
The loss absolutely stings for the Wild and their fans. Mistakes and missed opportunities are heightened during the playoffs, and this year was no exception.

In Game 4, the Wild had a chance to take a 3-1 series lead that’s eluded the franchise forever. Instead, they lost in overtime after a defensive miscue by Jake Middleton in the Wild’s zone led to the winning goal for Vegas. In Game 5, it was a goal getting overturned on a coaches’ challenge late in regulation of a tie game that will haunt the Wild – and Gustav Nyquist, who was offsides before Ryan Hartman put the puck in the net – for years to come.

Back home for a must-win Game 6, the Wild never led after giving up a power-play goal just 3 minutes, 30 seconds into the game. Vegas was also more opportunistic than the Wild and made a couple of great plays as they finally got production from a couple of their best players – Jack Eichel and Mark Stone.

Brock Faber handles the puck while Joel Eriksson Ek battles with Tomas Hertl. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

On the go-ahead goal, Wild defenseman Brock Faber pinched in from the blue line and didn’t get back once Vegas got control of the puck. It created a breakaway for Eichel, a superstar who didn’t miss the net, scoring his first goal of the series for a 2-1 Vegas lead late in the second period.

The Wild were down two goals late in the third but responded 31 seconds later to make it 3-2, the second time in the series the Wild had a quick answer in the third period. Minnesota had a flurry of chances in the final two minutes after pulling Filip Gustavsson for the extra attacker. But the clock ran out on the game and the Wild’s 2024-25 campaign.

The feeling was “raw” after the game for Wild coach John Hynes.

“I thought we worked enough and were playing well enough to be able to continue to push the series,” Hynes said. “Unfortunately, it didn’t go our way. But I commend the guys. This was a really fun group to coach, extremely competitive group, coachable.

“It’s obviously disappointing right now because you feel like you deserve a little bit better, at least in the last few games here, and unfortunately, it didn’t go that way.”

This wasn’t the average Wild playoff series
Vegas won the series with four victories in essentially one-goal games. The Golden Knights won three in a row with a pair of overtime victories and then Thursday’s 3-2 result. Game 1 was 4-2, but that included an empty-net goal just before time expired.

Both Gustavsson and Hartman mentioned the two overtime losses in their postgame comments Thursday. Gustavsson thought a moment before answering that the Wild should have one of those overtime games was a deciding factor. It’s small details in tight games, he added.

“I think years past we had some pretty good teams, but this one, those things we went through, the way we stuck with things,” Hartman said. “This one feels like we could have gone deep.

“We battled. Two overtime losses the last two games, and a close one tonight. Felt like it could have easily gone seven, but we felt like we had what it took to go forward.”

“Credit to them. They found a way to get it done,” said Wild coach John Hynes, following the Game 6 loss. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

The Wild were close. They were right there. For many stretches in the series they outplayed Vegas. Gustavsson looked like the better goaltender than Adin Hill at the other end. That’s what was so different about this playoff series for the Wild, and perhaps what will make the loss sting that much more.

Minnesota wasn’t overmatched. The Wild didn’t run into a brick wall of a hot goaltender. They didn’t struggle to score goals and generate offense. Their top players didn’t figuratively disappear. All problems that have plagued this franchise for years in the playoffs.

The only game that looked similar to years past was Game 6, because of the close-but-no-cigar chances the Wild had to score more than two goals. The Wild outshot Vegas 31-23 in the game, but they left so much on the table when it came to finishing off plays. It wasn’t for lack of trying or offensive zone time.

Wild fans have seen the movie before, where a puck bounces one way, a player’s stick is just in the wrong spot, a gaping net is staring at the Wild while the goalie is out of position, but they can’t cash in, for whatever reason. That’s hockey, and no matter how many chances the Wild generated with their season on the line, the puck wasn’t finding the back of the net when they needed it the most.

“You feel a little bit gut-punched,” Foligno said. “It does feel a little bit like that. You’re feeling ‘what do we have to do in order to get by, what’s next’ type thing, that’s the game of hockey. That’s why it’s frustrating to play it, but it can give you the best thing in the world and what we all dream of, and that’s winning the Stanley Cup and that’s our goal and always will be.

“But it feels like we had something a lot better, a lot different this year.”

Hartman, goal scoring and one last moment for Flower
In Game 6, the Wild got two goals from Hartman, who played excellent – and disciplined – hockey throughout the series. He had four assists coming into Game 6 before finally getting a goal that counted with four seconds left in the first period to tie the game 1-1. Hartman also buried the puck from the side of the cage with 3:27 remaining in regulation. He had another great chance off a feed from Kirill Kaprizov earlier in the third period but couldn’t finish the play with a goal; Hartman banged his stick on the end glass in frustration.

Ryan Hartman scored two goals, both in Game 6, and four assists in the six-game playoff series. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

Hartman bounced back well this season from an eight-game suspension for roughing in a game in Ottawa in early February. It left a Wild team riddled with injuries all season even more shorthanded at the time. But he was a catalyst for the Wild in this series. Hynes said Thursday that Hartman “grew a little bit” coming back from the suspension.

“I think just his mental focus really when he came back from that coming down the stretch to end the regular season and into the playoffs,” Hynes said. “Just more focused, channeled his energy the right way, played the game the right way, and he had a great playoffs for us. It was really good to see.”

Hynes added that Hartman has a competitive gene which produces an ability and mindset to play his best during a hard playoff series. But Hartman, who’s played in the last five playoff series losses with the Wild, wasn’t interested in focusing on the personal positives of his game.

“I’d rather have been out of the lineup and we’d move on,” Hartman said. “It really doesn’t (expletive) matter.”

Hartman wasn’t the only bright spot in this series. The Wild’s top line of Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy combined for 10 goals and nine assists, with Kaprizov and Boldy each scoring five goals. Though they were kept off the scoresheet in the final game, the Wild received the kind of play they needed from this trio. As a reminder, two of those players missed a combined 77 games this season due to injury. Eriksson Ek and Kaprizov each returned to the lineup April 9, with Eriksson Ek scoring four goals while Kaprizov notched two.  

Boldy, who played in all 88 games this season, showed the type of skill and hustle expected of a top-line winger. Eriksson Ek’s presence is felt all over the ice, including with the level of physicality and in the faceoff circle, although he wasn’t able to get a goal in these past six games. Kaprizov is one of the best players in the league and was playing like an MVP candidate before his injury around Christmas.

One of the best plays of the series was Kaprizov’s saucer pass to Boldy up the ice for a goal in Game 2 Boldy called it the best pass he’d ever seen. Foligno quipped during that press conference that it was a “rude” thing for Boldy to say, since he assisted on Boldy’s first NHL goal.

Foligno was another player who threw his weight around in the series, both with hits and offensively. He scored three goals in the series and assisted on Hartman’s first goal of the night Thursday. Foligno came into Thursday leading the league with 38 hits in the playoffs; he finished with 42 hits in six games.

The end of the Wild’s season also marks the end of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury’s NHL career. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

Gustavsson had his own highlight reel of important saves when his team needed it. He played all but the third period and overtime of Game 5, exiting because he was sick. That gave Marc-Andre Fleury one more period-plus of NHL hockey before his expected retirement at 40 years old.

As the traditional post-series handshakes ended, the fans who remained at Xcel Energy Center started a “Fleury! Fleury! Fleury!” chant in appreciation. He gave a brief acknowledgement to the crowd before being the first Wild player to skate off the ice and down the tunnel; the rest of the Wild players and the Vegas players stayed on the ice and offered stick taps to acknowledge the future hall of famer. It was a brief moment shortened by the deflating team loss.

Still, it was an emotional scene for Foligno, though it’s safe to say he wasn’t the only one.  

“You feel for him,” Foligno said. “I think we all pushed really hard for him and trying to extend this as long as we can. The big goal was to go out a winner. That would have been the ultimate sacrifice and ultimate dream going out.

“We’re all very fortunate in this room to have played with him.”

Gallery: Wild vs. Golden Knights

The post Early Exit appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

The Wild played well in game one, though Vegas took the victory before the Wild split on the road and then won Game 3 with back-to-back, offense-fueled 5-2 victories. Goal scoring, hits, special teams and elite goaltending, plus an energetic Minnesota crowd. All those boxes are checked in this best-of-seven series, which is knotted at two games apiece.

“It was good playoff hockey,” said Wild winger Marcus Foligno. “It was exciting. We had chances there at the end. … It was a good hockey game.

“This is a series. They’re a heck of a team. Not going to be easy. It was a good game both sides. This is what we expect. … We played a hard game, and it’s got to be the same effort in Vegas.”

The only box the Wild didn’t check off was taking a 3-1 series lead for the first time in franchise history. Vegas got the edge with a 4-3 overtime win in Game 4 after Ivan Barbashev capitalized on a failed clearing attempt by the Wild with just 2:34 left in overtime to score the winner. Vegas took a 3-2 lead halfway through the third period before Wild captain Jared Spurgeon answered just 54 seconds later.

Overtime on home ice also hasn’t been kind to the Wild. All-time, they’re 4-8 at Xcel Energy Center in overtime playoff games, including 0-for-5 since their last home OT victory. That was Mikael Granlund’s diving goal back on April 21, 2014 in game three against Colorado.

But even after losing in overtime Saturday, Wild players and coach John Hynes were positive about the status of the series.

Marcus Foligno skates toward the Wild bench after scoring a goal early in the second period Saturday to give the Wild a 2-1 lead in Game 4. Foligno has scored in three consecutive games. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

“Ah man, we’re in a good spot,” Hynes said. “It was a hard-fought battle. We played well again. Game was right in our hands. Both teams competed hard.

“We knew it would be a hard series. Love where we’re at. … We’re here, man. We’ll just keep grinding.”

The Wild will have to grind their way through a familiar script that its fans know all too well when it comes to playoff history, marking the fifth time the Wild have taken a 2-1 series lead only to lose Game 4 and see the series get tied up.

The Wild have never taken a 3-1 series lead in 14 Stanley Cup Playoffs appearances. So far, the Wild are 1-3 in series when they had a 2-1 lead, winning the first round against St. Louis in 2015 but losing series in 2008, 2022 and 2023. They’d like to reverse that trend and make that record a 2-3 mark by winning this series against Vegas.

Can this time be different?
Every series is different, and this one has shown Wild sparks that would indicate the outcome could be a victorious one for Minnesota. The Wild’s playoff history is filled with losses where the team has had trouble scoring goals. Whether it was matching up against a hot goaltender or not, the Wild have struggled to finish plays and ultimately put the puck in the net, despite playing well and generating plenty of scoring chances. The Wild have had their opportunities over the years, failed to capitalize on them, and now it’s been a decade since the franchise has won a playoff series.

Two years ago, the Wild were up 2-1 in the series against the Dallas Stars before losing in six games. After the loss, forward Ryan Hartman offered a common refrain about what was missing to get the win.

Ryan Hartman has one assist in each of the first four games of this series against Vegas. In his last nine career playoff games, Hartman has two goals and seven assists. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

“There’s opportunities throughout this series where we could have not necessarily put the nail in the coffin, but we could have separated ourselves a little bit more,” Hartman said, after the series loss in 2023. “We failed to capitalize on opportunities throughout the series.”

So far, the Wild have capitalized on its opportunities this time around, with the biggest exception being in overtime Saturday. The Wild also had a power play about eight minutes into overtime but failed to end the game.

Now the Wild needs to prove that this year and this team are different. Turning this series into effectively a best-of-three means the Wild, a better road team than home team this season, will have to win at least one game in Vegas if it’s going to advance. Foligno, who’s scored a goal in each of the past three games, likes this Wild team as one to chart a winning course this time.

“I like the experience that we have from those previous playoff runs where we’re right there,” Foligno said, after Game 4. “We worked really hard tonight. The way we answered and came back after their goal is the mental toughness that we’ve been showing all year. 2-2 doesn’t scare us.”

The Boldy-Kaprizov connection
This 2025 playoffs stage hasn’t been too big for the Wild’s top players either. The top line of Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy has been a lightning rod for the team’s offense in the playoffs. Having Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek return near the end of the regular season from their lengthy absences due to injury has been the boost the team needed.

The wild’s top line of Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy (left) and Joel Eriksson Ek (right) have combined for 15 points through the first four games of the playoff series against Vegas. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

Boldy’s also exploded with his offensive production. He came into series with just two goals in 12 career playoff games. This time around, he’s scored four goals and two assists in the first three games; he was held off the scoresheet on Saturday. He scored both Wild goals in Game 1 and became the second player in franchise history with three consecutive team goals in the postseason, joining Marian Gaborik who accomplished the feat in the 2003 second round series.

Kaprizov, who’s come back strong after missing most of the Wild games since Christmas with a lower-body injury that required surgery, has kept pace with Boldy. He also has four goals and added an assist Saturday on his 28th birthday to bring his playoff points total to eight in four games so far. His 14 career playoff goals are only two shy of Zach Parise’s 16 for the most in franchise history.

It’s all part of that cliché: Your best players have to be your best players.

“Those guys bring it every night, whether the puck is going in or not,” said Wild defenseman Brock Faber, after Game 3. “Just their work ethic on the ice – they’re the hardest workers and the most skilled players. So, when you got two guys who have both those traits, they’re hard to stop and we’re hard to beat.

“It’s definitely fun to watch those guys.”

In net, the Wild have gotten what they need from Filip Gustavsson, too. He made 42 saves on Saturday despite getting tagged with the loss. He made plenty of spectacular saves to keep Vegas at bay throughout the game.

Filip Gustavsson’s 42 saves in Game 4 are tied for the fifth-highest total in the Wild’s postseason history. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

Gustavsson was also upbeat and pleased with the effort from the team, even if the result wasn’t there for them at the end.

“You always hate losing,” Gustavsson said. “But you know, hockey’s a team sport. You can have a great day and you still lose. It’s all about the team. You win and lose together.

“I think the feeling in the locker room is very good. Everyone has a lot of confidence right now.”

They’ll need to make sure they pack that positivity with them.  With this series against Vegas tied 2-2 in the present day, the Wild will head back to Vegas trying to buck the historical trends of the franchise’s results.

Hynes said his players are “dialed in,” and there’s a belief in how they’re playing right now. He added that they’ve been resilient all year. They’ll move on to Game 5 Tuesday in Vegas. They feel confident headed into that game, Foligno said, adding that “the road doesn’t faze this team.”

“We had to win two games to win this series this morning,” Hartman said. “It’s still the same way; we’ve still got to win two hockey games.”

Gallery: Wild vs. Golden Knights

The post Win, Lose, Series Draw appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

The post Wild Need A Thrilling Kirill appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

But Joel Eriksson Ek tied the game 2-2 officially with 22 seconds remaining in regulation Tuesday night against the Anaheim Ducks at Xcel Energy Center. That goal helped send the Wild to the playoffs; all they needed was one point in the game, which they achieved when they sent the game to overtime.

With the playoff spot clinched at the end of regulation, starting goaltender Filip Gustavsson wanted a word with coach John Hynes at the bench.

“He came to me and just said, ‘We get in, do you think we could put Flower in?’” Hynes said. “I was like, ‘Yeah, great idea.’”

So, as the teams prepared for the reset before 3-on-3 overtime, backup netminder Marc-Andre Fleury got off the bench and started stretching on the ice. Fans noticed, and the cheers grew louder as he took his place in the crease. The 40-year-old goaltender was coming in cold. But the move was heartwarming.

He was thrown right into the fire, too, as the Wild went on the penalty kill just 18 seconds into overtime, the only Wild penalty of the night.

No worries. The Flower squeezed a vintage performance into the overtime period that lasted nearly the full five minutes. Fleury made five saves in his 4:42 of ice time to earn his 575th career victory. Along the way, he also got some help from his friend, the goal post, with a Ducks shot that just missed. He made sure to thank the post in his traditional way, by giving it a quick tap with his glove hand. Fleury also made a sprawling pad save earlier in the sequence.

Marc-Andre Fleury won his 575th career game on Tuesday night, playing only the overtime period. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

“That was just an unbelievable regular season ending to Marc-Andre Fleury’s career,” said winger Marcus Foligno. “To come in and get awarded a penalty, too, to kill a penalty kill, we’re all looking at each other like are you kidding me? I can’t believe the ref called that to just throw Flower under the bus like that. And then to see two poke-check saves and a post and keep playing the puck, too, it was electric and it’s so fitting for the way you can end that guy’s regular-season career.”

His saves helped keep overtime alive, and the Wild eventually won the game 3-2 on a Matt Boldy goal with 18 seconds left. While it’s traditional to mob the player who scored the game winner, Fleury’s teammates mobbed him near center ice.

“I think our fate was winning the game like we did,” said Wild defenseman Jake Middleton. “Maybe it was fate to go to overtime and get Flower in net the way we did, too. What a all-class move by Gus there, too. Very cool.”

A fond memory
Fleury said he was “very surprised,” plus a little shocked and a little worried when he was called upon for overtime.

“I’d been sitting there for a few hours,” Fleury said. “A good talk from Gus, and obviously Hynes let me go in, too. I’m happy I got to go play just a little bit more at home.”

He was a much happier hockey player than six days earlier when he stood in front of his locker stall following another Wild overtime win, but in that topsy-turvy game against San Jose, Fleury allowed seven goals. That game last Wednesday was set up to be his final home start of the regular season in his career. Afterward, he could only take solace in the fact that the team got the important two points, and the emotions of the national anthem, when his three children joined him in the goal crease.

“I think I’ll remember the national anthem and having two points,” Fleury said, after the game against San Jose.

The Wild had a chance to win-and-get-in in Calgary on Friday, but they lost 4-2 and Fleury saw a few minutes in net late in the game when Gustavsson was pulled. That meant Fleury didn’t start in Vancouver the next night either, which was a likely plan, but the Wild still needed the valuable points and went with Gustavsson in net.

It looked like Fleury might not see meaningful minutes or get another shot at a regular-season sendoff. Until overtime, with the relief of the playoff clinch scenario in the bag.

“I feel lucky to have another chance to play in front of them,” Fleury said, of his family in attendance and the Wild fans, who went nuts for his entrance into the game and showered him with “FLEURY! FLEURY!” chants. “Get a win. Not give up seven goals. That was nice, too. Hopefully they remember that time.

Fleury had tears in his eyes by the end of the postgame media session: “It was fun to go one more time out there and play the game I love. That was cool.” 

After the victory, the Wild players and fans saluted Fleury as he stood at center ice with a graphic on the videoboard above thanking him: “Merci Fleury.”

Flower deserves all his flowers. That seems to be the unanimous opinion among Wild players.

“Every compliment, everything that’s been thrown his way, he deserves,” Middleton said. “He’s just one of the best dudes in hockey.

The post Flowers For Fleury appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Going up against the league’s worst team, the 20-win San Jose Sharks, the Wild were hunting two points in the standings. They got them, but it took an offensive outburst and overcoming defense lapses to get there with an eventual 8-7 overtime win that also included a combined six goals from two returning starts.

Here are five rules from the Wild’s second overtime victory this week:

1. Kirill Kaprizov returned to the lineup for the first time since Jan. 26 after a lower-body injury, and he scored a power-play goal.

At the first stoppage of play, Kirill Kaprizov stepped onto the ice for the ensuing faceoff. Downtime in the game, but the Minnesota fans offered loud cheers for the winger playing in just his fourth game since Christmas.

Kaprizov scored a power-play goal late in the second period to tie the game 4-4. It was a snipe from down low after he tried earlier on the man advantage to fire the puck toward the net and perhaps get a tip from a teammate.

After the game got to overtime, Kaprizov got a feed from Mats Zuccarello and finished the crazy game with a blast from a similar spot on the ice for his 10th overtime winner. Game over.

“It was not our best defense game,” Kaprizov said. “But it’s nice win. We take these two points.”

2. Joel Eriksson Ek also returned to the lineup after being out injured since the 4 Nations Face-Off. He scored a career-high four goals.

Joel Eriksson Ek stole the show with a career-high four goals. His first goal was part of a chaotic couple of minutes in the six-goal second period. Then he scored three consecutive tallies with 11.9 left in the second period and 1 minute, 2 seconds into the third period – both on the power play – to complete his first hat trick since Feb. 19, 2024 against Vancouver.

He added goal No. 4 only 1 minute, 4 seconds later. The first three goals were all classic Eriksson Ek – rebounds and crashing the net, scoring from around the blue paint. The last one was a feed from Matt Boldy, who assisted on three of Eriksson Ek’s goals, that found him in the slot.

“Good bounces,” Eriksson Ek said. “They chirped me, or Hartzy (Ryan Hartman) did, that they were all in the crease, so the fourth one was a little bit better.”

Eriksson Ek’s season goal total went from nine to 13 for the season in 43 games played. He joined Marian Gaborik as the only two players in franchise history to score four-plus goals in a single game.

3. Matt Boldy had a four-assist game.

Four assists pushed Boldy’s season total to 30 and 71 points. Four helpers in a game also marks a career-high for the winger, tied for the second-highest single-game total in Wild franchise history. Kevin Fiala has five assists on April 22, 2022 vs. Seattle.

Boldy played on the top line opposite Marcus Foligno and Eriksson Ek at center. Boldy praised Foligno’s play in the last few games they’ve been on a line together.

“And then you got Ekky,” Boldy said. “I don’t think anyone can take the puck from him. He’s a beast.”

4. It was Marc-Andre Fleury’s night… until it wasn’t.

This was supposed to be a celebratory night in a very sentimental way for goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and the Wild. He made likely his final start at home in the regular season Wednesday. It could have been another wonderful moment during his farewell tour. But not all these moments can have a fairytale ending.

The Wild had a 7-4 lead in the third period before three straight Sharks goals, including one of the final minute to tie the game and force overtime.

“As a goalie, those aren’t the most fun games to play,” Fleury said. “You know, too many goals going in.

“I think I’ll remember the national anthem and having two points.”

The best moment of the night for Fleury was taking his spot in between the pipes prior to the game. His three children joined him in the crease during the national anthem.

“I think it’ll be good memories for me, for them, right?” Fleury said. “Just to be on the ice and see what it feels like to be there and having all the people around.

“That was pretty cool.”

Fleury made 24 saves in the game, including a vintage windmill save in the second period, which generated a few “Fleury! Fleury! Fleury!” chants from the crowd.

After Kaprizov ended the game in overtime, a few Wild players mobbed Fleury near center ice. It was also the 70th overtime win for Fleury, which passed Martin Brodeur (69) for most in NHL history. Fleury is 13-9-1 this season, marking his 19th winning season of his career; only Brodeur has more with 20, according to NHL Stats.

5. San Jose is the worst team in the league, but the Wild engaged in a back-and-forth battle with the Sharks.

The Wild, which has struggled in recent weeks to put the puck in the net in the opening period, found itself down 1-0 about 12 minutes into the game. Then the Wild led 2-1, 3-2 and 5-4, taking one-goal leads into both intermissions. In between, the Wild also trailed 4-3 in the third period before those two power-play goals from Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek late in the second period.

In the third, the Wild were up 7-4 a couple of minutes into the period on Eriksson Ek’s fourth goal of the night. But the Wild had defensive lapses throughout the game, and the Sharks celebrated a Macklin Celebrini hat trick and eventually tied the game.

The Wild scored a season-high eight goals, needed every one to get two points.

“I would say from a defensive standpoint, it was uncharacteristic of us tonight in certain areas,” said Wild coach John Hynes. “Some of the things, we’ll address them and tighten up.”

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It took a little extra time, but the Wild got the two points it desperately needed in a 3-2 overtime victory over the division rival Dallas Stars on Sunday at Xcel Energy Center. Here are five rules recapping their latest win:

1. Marco Rossi finished a highlight-reel play in overtime for his 24th goal of the season.

Only 13 seconds into overtime, Matt Boldy was tripped up by Stars’ goal scorer Jason Roberston to put the Wild on a power play.

That gave the Wild a 4-on-3 advantage. Boldy and Mats Zuccarello cycled the puck beautifully, with Zuccarello’s shot tipped in on the back door by Rossi at 58 seconds of overtime.

“Try to be open, and Zuccy is going to find you,” said Rossi, who also recorded an assist in the game.

Boldy offered more on how the winner developed, calling it “an unbelievable play by Zuccy.”

“Great battle on the zone entry,” Boldy said. “They played that about as good as they possibly could. The best I’ve ever seen any 4-on-3 play it. Great battle won there and then to get set up. You give the puck to the best playmaker on the team, and he makes no mistake.”

The Wild’s top line accounted for all three goals. Yes, that’s the top line of Marcus Foligno and Boldy on the wings with Rossi at center.

“Today was a good start to a big week for us,” said John Hynes.

2. Matt Boldy whacks his way to a three-point game.

Dallas took a 1-0 lead early in the game on Robertson’s 34th goal of the season. The score remained the same at the second intermission. But the Wild talked afterward about how they played well, even if the results didn’t always show up on the scoreboard.

“We had a really good game,” Rossi said. “Even the first and second period was good. Maybe the puck bounces didn’t go our way. But we played the right way and obviously go out goals in that third period.”

That started with Boldy tying the game about three minutes into the third period when he whacked the puck into the net as he was falling to his knees in the slot. He got up and emphatically celebrated his team-leading 26th goal of the season.

“Just kind of a bouncing puck that found some free ice, and I just tried to hit it as hard as I could,” Boldy said. “Got lucky it went in.”

Less than two minutes later, Foligno punched in a goal in the crease to give the Wild a 2-1 lead five minutes into the third. Boldy had the second assist on the play, as he did on Rossi’s winner.

It’s the sixth game this season in which Boldy (26-41—67) has scored three-or-more points in a game.

“I thought mentally we were in this game right from the start,” Boldy said.

3. The Wild’s penalty kill did its job.

The penalty kill has taken its fair share of lumps and criticism this season. There was a point where skating down a man might as well have come with an automatic goal for the opposing team, and quickly. Teams won faceoffs in their offensive zones and scored within the first 10 seconds of power plays against the Wild.

By the numbers, the Wild’s penalty kill is still one of the worst. Its 72.2% (54 goals allowed on 194 attempts) mark coming into Sunday’s game ranked 31st in the NHL. That ranking is the same on home ice at 69.1% (25 goals on 81 attempts) before Sunday.

The PK came into play on its New York road trip Friday against the Islanders. The Wild trailed just 2-1 headed into the third period but allowed a goal on the kill for a two-goal margin.

But against Dallas, with a road power play ranked ninth in the NHL coming in, the Wild went 4-for-4. Hynes commented on the Wild’s urgency in the play on the kill, along with strong attention to detail.

“I thought we got saves at the right times from Gus,” Hynes said. “We were strong on our clears. That’s the recipe.”

First, the Wild needed to kill a Boldy boarding penalty only eight seconds into the game. They also killed off two tripping penalties in the third period with 9:05 left in regulation. The Wild’s killers didn’t allow much for the Stars with the man advantage.

“The guys are being smarter with shares and things like that in our zone with the penalty kill,” Foligno said. “So, I just feel like it’s a lot of confidence.”

Unfortunately, about 10 seconds after that first penalty in the third period expired, the Stars tied the game with a shot off Zach Bogosian’s leg. A tie game with 3:27 left in regulation, and this time Brock Faber went to the box for tripping. But the Wild killed that one off, too, and eventually skated into overtime after securing a point.

“The PK guys stepped up when they needed to,” said Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson. “Three minutes on the clock is not an easy task to do. We needed to have a kill, and everyone did it.”

4. Filip Gustavsson made 23 saves on the way to winning his 30th game of the season.

Gustavsson improved to 30-18-6 this season. He’s remained consistent with his game during this recent stretch the last month or so, as the Wild have relied on him heavily.

While the Wild have struggled to find success on home ice this season, Gustavsson is 17-11-1 at Xcel Energy Center in 2024-25. He’s also the fifth goaltender in franchise history to win 30 games in a season. Devan Dubnyk did it four times, Nicklas Backstrom twice, and Cam Talbot and Manny Fernandez also each won 30 games in a season.

“I wish I could play every game,” Gustavsson said. “It’s something I love to do, and I wish I can continue doing it.”

5. The victory broke a four-game winless streak for the Wild.

Since the start of March, the Wild stepped onto the ice Sunday with a 7-7-3 record, earning 17 points in 17 games as they fight to keep pace in the standings and hold onto a wild card spot.

But a rough road trip out east this past week left the Wild with an 0-2-2 stretch even since their inspired victory over the Washington Capitals on home ice March 27, a game known more for its finish when Alex Ovechkin – who made history by scoring his 895th career NHL goal Sunday – made sure his team shook hands with Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury after the game.

From there, the Wild lost 5-2 to New Jersey, then in a shootout at the Devils’ home, followed by an overtime loss at the Rangers. A rough 3-1 loss at the Islanders on Friday generated some pointed and candid comments from the Wild locker room postgame.

But as Foligno said after Sunday’s game, the Wild needed to stop talking about what they need to do and just show up and play during this crucial time of year, which now has four games remaining in the regular season.

“We’ve just got to show up and play,” Foligno said. “Just sick of the meetings, sick of the motivational speeches. We know we have it in here. It’s just getting our head around it and doing it for a full 60.”

The Wild have 91 points in the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. St. Louis is just ahead with 93 points; the Blues can’t lose lately, having won 12 games in a row. Calgary is chasing the Wild with 85 points. The Wild play at home again Wednesday vs. San Jose.

“It’s been a grind, but we’re excited we’re in the driver’s seat still,” Foligno said. “Our fate’s in our hands.”

The post Rink Rule: Stars vs. Wild appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Two days after watching his team record an impressive victory over the NHL-leading Washington Capitals, the Wild coach expected a repeat performance against the good, but not great, New Jersey Devils.

This would be the 11th and final home game for the Wild in March and a chance to keep the surging St. Louis Blues two points behind them in the wild card race. This version of the Wild — the one without superstar winger Kirill Kaprizov and top center Joel Eriksson Ek — are not talented enough to win on talent alone.

That means they have no choice but to work as hard as they did against the Caps. Everyone seemed to realize this except for one important group: Hynes’ players.

Nico Hischier scored the first of his three goals only 29 seconds into the first period, Paul Cotter made it 2-0 at the 5:46 mark and the Devils never trailed in a 5-2 victory on Saturday at Xcel Energy Center.

That left the Wild 6-4-1 in the 11 home games and tied with the Blues with 87 points. The Wild are technically in the seventh wild card spot because they have a game in hand on St. Louis, but the Blues have won nine in a row and Vancouver is six points behind both teams and has played one game fewer than Minnesota.

Saturday’s effort will be ‘addressed’
No wonder Hynes’ ire was raised by his team offering so little in such an important game.

“I just thought from the drop of the puck we weren’t mentally, physically where we needed to be, and it lasted throughout the game,” Hynes said. “You guys kind of saw the same thing I saw. I’m not going to mince words on it, but we weren’t mentally ready to play, focused (on) the details we need (to be). I think the competitive level that’s required to win wasn’t there. We beat ourselves in so many different ways tonight. It will be addressed, and we’ll be ready for Monday.”

In the remaining 1 minute, 54 seconds of Hynes’ press conference, he was asked four more questions and either said, “It will be addressed,” or, “We’ll address it,” six times.

How will it be addressed?

Hynes, who has been canceling late-season practices to keep his team fresh, kept Sunday’s practice on the books before his team departed for New Jersey to play the Devils for a second consecutive time on Monday.

This is about as close to a meltdown as you’re going to get from Hynes.

Justin Brazeau on the ice against Buffalo on March 22, 2025. He was part of one of the Wild’s best lines against New Jersey this past Saturday. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

The fact that the line of Yakov Trenin, Devin Shore and Justin Brazeau might have been the most consistent trio for the Wild was more of an indictment on the other lines than it was a reason to praise the hard-working but not-skilled fourth line.

There is no question that what once looked like it could be a special season has been derailed by the losses of several players at different points, most notably Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek. The two have started skating, but it’s unknown when either might return. Kaprizov has missed the past 24 games and 36 of the past 39. Eriksson Ek, the Wild’s best center, has missed the past 17 games and 18 of the past 19.

However, the Wild’s performance against Washington confirmed that with the necessary effort they can be very competitive. Players talked about that after the Washington win, opening the door for Hynes and everyone else to point out that the loss to the Devils was based more on a lack of effort than anything else.

Juggling lines in a feisty game
The Wild played pretty well in the second period, but they no-showed much of the first and were outscored 3-1 in a mostly lifeless third period. Goalie Filip Gustavsson has been outstanding of late, but at some point he needs help from his teammates.

Hynes juggled the first and third lines, moving Ryan Hartman to the top line to center Matt Boldy and Marcus Foligno. Marco Rossi was demoted to play with Gus Nyquist and Vinnie Hinostroza on the third line. Hinostroza had been so good against the Capitals that he started Saturday as the first-line right winger, but he didn’t stay there.

Hartman and Foligno accounted for the Wild’s two goals, so it wasn’t a surprise that Hynes moved them up from the third line. Boldy, who entered Saturday with three goals and seven points in his past six games, took a dumb slashing penalty with the Wild trailing 3-2 in the third period. Hischier scored 1:02 into the power play to give the Devils a two-goal lead.

In what had been an intense and feisty game, that was the exact type of penalty the Wild can’t take and the fact it came from one of their best players made it even more disturbing.

The Wild have eight games remaining, including a three-game road trip to play the Devils, Rangers and Islanders this week. The Blues’ phenomenal play since returning from the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off means they can’t be counted on to cool off and the Canucks and Flames remain dangerous. The Wild will play in Calgary on April 11 and Vancouver on April 12 in what could be huge games.

Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek might be back by then, but that can’t be counted on. Saturday proved that Hynes also can’t count on his team to show up when it matters most. Will his attempt to “address” this issue work? If it doesn’t, the Wild could be sitting outside of the playoff picture for a second consecutive season.

The post Fired-Up Hynes Addresses Wild Loss appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Looking at the calendar, the game Thursday between the Minnesota Wild and visiting Washington Capitals at Xcel Energy Center could have been the night Alex Ovechkin made NHL history. But he came into the game still needing six goals to pass Wayne Gretzky (894 goals) for the most goals scored by a player in NHL history. So, at the very least he could have scored a goal to get a little bit closer to the milestone.

That didn’t happen either. Ovechkin was held off the scoresheet in his 1,482nd NHL game as the Wild captured a comeback 4-2 victory over the Capitals, snapping their two-game losing streak.

So, about that memorable ending?

After Freddy Gaudreau scored an empty-netter for his second goal of the night to put the game away, and the final horn sounded, the Wild congratulated their starting goaltender Filip Gustavsson on his seventh victory of March. Some of the Capitals players made their way toward the tunnel leading to the locker room. Ovechkin called them back to the ice, and the Capitals lined up near center ice to form a handshake line.

They were led by Ovechkin and waiting for one Wild player: Marc-Andre Fleury.

The Wild goaltender has been backing up Gustavsson more often these days, which is more about the hot-hand of Gustavsson and that the Wild are playing for their playoff lives. So, the Flower didn’t start and didn’t play in Thursday’s game.

“It was a little surprise there at the end. Then Bogo (Zach Bogosian) told me to look back,” Fleury said the next day after practice. “Everybody gets on and we fist bump everybody and went to go see Gus after the game. They were all lined up.

“A little surprise. Little bit… weird, I would say. I didn’t play the game, and then the whole team’s lined up. Very classy.”

Ovechkin mentioned Thursday morning that this game would mark the last time going up against Fleury, regardless of if the legendary goaltender played a minute in between the pipes. It’s been one of many memorable moments this season for Fleury, who is on a one-year contract and will likely retire from the NHL after this season.

The handshake tribute after the game was something the Capitals wanted to do, said Washington coach Spencer Carbery.

“Just paying the respects he deserves and the impressive career,” Carbery said. “He’s done so much. They’ve had so many battles. He’s had so many battles with the Caps, with ‘O’ (Ovechkin). So, pretty classy to be able to send him off and just say how impressive a career he had.”

Fleury was one of Charlie Lindgren’s favorite goalies growing up. Lindgren, the 31-year-old Lakeville North grad who made 17 saves for the Capitals in the loss Thursday, said he loved watching him play.

“The way he competed, the way he battled, just his personality,” Lindgren said. “I never had the chance to talk to him. Heck of a career.”

Wild winger Marcus Foligno also mentioned watching a bit of the Ovi-vs.-Fleury rivalry over the years before the he came into the NHL.

“That relationship is a little bit of a hate-love, but it’s one of those where you just tip your cap to the other guys and the battles that you saw in Pittsburgh and Capitals,” Foligno said.

Ovechkin thought the handshake line was a classy gesture, said Washington first-line center Dylan Strome, especially with their history as opponents.

“They played I don’t even know how many games against each other – I think I saw 47 today, not including playoffs,” Strome said. “It’s one of those things where you’ve got to respect greatness, and Fleury’s been great his whole career.

“I got the chance to play with him in Chicago, and everyone knows he’s one of the best people of all time in the game, so the little respect we can show him at the end of the game I think goes a long way and is well deserved for him.”

Yes, it’s been 47 games between the two. Ovechkin has scored 28 goals against Fleury in that time.

“We had so many battles,” Fleury said. “The Penguins, a few playoff series, even throughout the season, too, with him and Sid (Sidney Crosby). It was always a big deal. It was always a big game.

“I felt very lucky and fortunate I got to play so many games against him, compete against him. Obviously, a tough opponent.”

Fleury added that he was glad for the moment so he could tell Ovechkin it was fun playing against him, because “he’s had such a tremendous career also.”

Wild keeps giving Flower his flowers, too
The moment was special for Fleury’s Wild teammates, too. They stayed on the ice watching the handshake line unfold like the rest of the fans who stayed. Hearing players describe Fleury as “one of the best” they’ve ever played with is a common refrain this season.

“It’s special to have that when you quit hockey someday, that you played with that guy, for sure,” said Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin.

Wild coach John Hynes noted what a great teammate Fleury has been everywhere he’s played. Fleury was a Stanley Cup winner in Pittsburgh in 2009, 2016 and 2017. He also played with Vegas and Chicago before landing with the Wild at the 2022 trade deadline.

Fleury deserves all the accolades he’s gotten, Hynes said Thursday, adding that he’s said that same thing a couple of times in the past.

“He’s been a tremendous competitor to compete against. And obviously the quality of a human being that he is, all those things combined, I think we’re witnessing in part of a hall-of-fame player, a hall-of-fame person. That’s earned the respect not only as a player but I think as a competitor. Which is probably the best compliment you can get.”

The post Hall-Of-Fame Handshakes appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.