Struggling Wild suddenly fighting for playoff lives: 'We know what we’re up against'
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The Minnesota Wild, who at one point this season ranked first overall in the NHL, are looking to stay afloat and reach the playoffs with 10 games remaining in the regular season.
After being hammered by the Vegas Golden Knights, 5-1, on Tuesday and shut out by the Dallas Stars, 3-0, on Monday, the Wild are 4-5-1 in their past 10 games.
Minnesota led the NHL with an 18-4-4 record on Dec. 6, but have since won just 22 of their past 46 games to drop to the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference, two points ahead of the red-hot St. Louis Blues and six points better than the third-place Calgary Flames.
Veteran forward Mats Zuccarello didn't mince words after Tuesday's thrashing by the Golden Knights.
“We know what we’re up against,” Zuccarello told Michael Russo of The Athletic. “We gotta raise to that level. Everything can happen in the playoffs, but first we gotta worry about getting there first of all.”
Finishing in a wild-card spot, the most likely playoff outcome for Minnesota, means a first-round date with either the West-leading Winnipeg Jets or the Golden Knights, two teams they've struggled against in recent years. The Wild have lost eight straight games to the Jets and 11 of 13 against the Golden Knights, including all three games this season.
The Wild have dealt with their fair share of injuries over the past few months, namely top offensive talent Kirill Kaprizov, who has only played three games - all in late January - since the calendar flipped to 2025 with a lower-body injury. The 27-year-old Russian left winger has 23 goals and 29 assists over 37 games this season.
Centre Joel Eriksson Ek hasn't played since Feb. 22. The 28-year-old Swede has nine goals and 15 assists in 42 games.
Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek are expected to return to skating soon, according to head coach John Hynes
“It’s just gonna be a battle ’til the end, right? We expect it,” said veteran goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. “We’re missing some big guys, obviously, and a few millions under the cap. Guys are battling every night. They’re trying their best to stay in it, to find ways to get points, and that’s why I love this group so much, the character they show every night.
“It will be a battle though, that’s for sure.”
Blues not slowing down
With the Wild struggling, the Blues have gone the entirely opposite direction with seven straight wins, including a 6-1 pounding of the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.
The Blues have outscored their opposition by 34-10 during their win streak, with Team Canada star Jordan Binnington and backup Joel Hofer standing tall in net.
St. Louis has been red-hot since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off, holding a 13-2-2 record over that stretch to propel them into a playoff spot. Minnesota is 7-8-1 since the 4 Nations.
The Blues are just two points behind the Wild for the top wild-card spot with one game less on their schedule.
Forward Dylan Holloway believes they can catch the Wild for the top spot before the end of the season.
“That’s definitely the goal,” Holloway told Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic. “We’ve got nine games left and we’ve just got to go a game at a time. We can’t start thinking about other teams and the outcomes of their games. We’ve just got to focus one game at a time and try and get that two points every game. If we go in with that mindset, we should be good.”
The 23-year-old Holloway, who is in his first season with the Blues after leaving the Edmonton Oilers via an offer sheet, has recorded 12 points over the win streak. He has 24 goals and 36 assists over 73 games
Head coach Jim Montgomery praised Holloway following Tuesday's win over the Habs after he scored a goal and an assist.
“He’s just such a confident player right now,” Montgomery said. “The physicality is just becoming more and more and he’s realizing how physically dominating he can be, but also offensively and defensively. It’s impressive to watch. His confidence just seems to gain layers.”
The Blues are in Nashville to take on the Predators on Thursday while the Wild will look to turn things around against Alex Ovechkin and the league-leading Washington Capitals in Minnesota.