NHL Playoffs News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/nhl-playoffs/ Minnesota sports, but different Wed, 30 Apr 2025 14:56:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=32,height=32,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cropped-cropped-MSF-favicon-1.jpg NHL Playoffs News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/nhl-playoffs/ 32 32 What We Learned About the Minnesota Wild in Brutal Self-Induced Gm 5 Loss vs Knights https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/what-we-learned-golden-knights-wild-game-five-postgame-recap/ Wed, 30 Apr 2025 05:03:23 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=62844 The Minnesota Wild went back to Las Vegas for game five vs the Golden Knights feeling confident. Even after giving away game four, even with the series tied 2-2, even going back on the road… the Wild felt like they had the better team.

Still, there were all sorts of questions entering game five, especially surrounding some changes (and non-changes) to line combinations. Marcus Johansson was back on the ice after missing game four with an injury. Meanwhile, Marco Rossi remained buried on the fourth line, and top prospect Zeev Buium… relegated to the press box.

Would John Hynes’ decision to scratch Buium and continue to mistreat Rossi pay off with a road win in game five? If so, media questions and fan pressure to play the talented youngsters more would fade. After all, winning cures everything…

What We Learned – Minnesota Wild vs Vegas Golden Knights (Gm 5)

NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs - Minnesota Wild at Vegas Golden Knights
Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Of course, nothing can come easy. Just like game four, game five ended took overtime to settle. And just like game four, OT did not go in the Wild’s favor. But, they have nobody to blame but themselves for Tuesday’s 3-2 OT loss. So, let’s get into it. Here’s what we learned about the Minnesota Wild during their game five L vs the Vegas Golden Knights.

Golden Knights made Minnesota Wild pay for playing choosing veterans over talent

After Zeev Buium committed the costly high-sticking penalty in the third period of game four, not only did it cost the Minnesota Wild their late lead, but it forced head coach John Hynes to sit him on the bench for all of overtime.

That too wound up being a mistake because, after rotating shifts for nearly 20 minutes, Jake Middleton was so tired by the end of OT that he was off his skates and out of position for the game-winning goal, scored by Ivan Barbashev with 2:34 remaining in the first and only overtime period.

So for game five, instead of entrusting Buium with more responsibility, the Wild put him up in the press box, replaced by Jon Merrill, who recently returned from injury and hasn’t played a game yet this postseason. It didn’t take long for that decision to prove costly, and it didn’t stop with this one missed pinch.

Oh that wasn’t even the start of it. Merrill’s ghastly decision above nearly cost the Minnesota Wild yet again. Merrill wasn’t on the ice for Vegas’ first goal of the game. No defenseman was. See, the Golden Knights first goal of game five came on a Wild power play, the first of the game — early in the 1st period.

A shorty… but how? Because, without Buium available to play the point on the first power play unit, the Wild went with five forwards instead. After a turnover in the Golden Knights’ zone, it was Boldy trying to back check the semi-odd man rush for Vegas. And boy oh boy did he look like a fish out of water.

If you read all the way to the bottom of this article, you’ll see how Merrill helped Vegas put the OT nail in Minnesota’s game five coffin too. But of course, it wasn’t just Zeev Buium getting the short end of the stick in game five. Marco Rossi again got less than 12 minutes of ice time on the fourth line.

Meanwhile, Marcus Johansson was nowhere to be found and Freddy Gaudreau had one shot on goal while going 4-of-11 in the faceoff circle. In fact, Rossi was the only center on the Wild depth chart who won as many faceoffs as he lost.

Oh, and “trusty” veteran Gustav Nyquist literally cost the Minnesota Wild a game five win when he skated offsides on what would have been Ryan Hartman’s game-winning goal with less than 1.5 minutes left in the third period. After this was wiped out on a challenge, the game went to overtime and… well you’ll see that part momentarily.

Filip Gustavsson kept the Wild close… then disappeared

The Minnesota Wild came out in game one playing pretty good hockey. If not for mistakes by a fish-out-of-water Matt Boldy trying to play point on the power play, the Wild may have won that. While they played pretty well, Vegas won the period on the scoreboard 2-1 and peppered Gustavsson with 16 shots on net, to the Wild’s 9.

In the 2nd period, the Golden Knights got less shots off (9 SOG), but they fully dominated the period. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Wild (7 SOG) left Gustavsson hung out to dry multiple times. In that ugly middle period, Minnesota looked disorganized and their forwards were way too reckless with the puck.

Related: MN Wild Practice Reveals Controversial Line Combos and New Injury Updates

Unlike in the 1st period, however, the Wild never paid for it, even as the Golden Knights got high percentage chance after high percentage chance. Thankfully, Filip Gustavsson buckled down in the second period, allowing the Wild to stay in the game and go into the 3rd down only one goal.

But when the Minnesota Wild came out of the locker room for the 3rd period, Gustavsson was nowhere to be found. Later, we found out he was dealing with an illness that prevented him from going back in net, meaning Marc-Andre Fleury made his 18th postseason appearance, in his place.

And he took the baton from Gustavsson and continued with more really impressive play in goal, in part thanks to a much better effort from the skaters in front of him, something Filip did not get before he exited the contest.

Matt Boldy, MN Wild brought it in third period… lose on OT faceoffs

In the third period, the Minnesota Wild came out of the intermission with their hair on fire. With Marc-Andre in net to replace the sick Filip Gustavsson, the skaters in front of him had a different intensity and it showed.

But out of anybody, it was Matt Boldy who was skating circles around Vegas defenders. And 3:31 into the third, he was paid off for his efforts with a game-tying goal that flipped this playoff contest on its head.

After an incredible cross-ice pass by Joel Eriksson Ek, Boldy came crossed the blue line, beautifully boxed the defenseman out as he skated around the crease, before flipping the puck back across Aden Hill’s body and over his left shoulder for an absolutely stunning goal.

From there, after the aforementioned “trusty” Nyquist blew the game by going offsides, wiping out the Wild’s game-winning goal with just over a minute left in regulation, the game ended up in overtime, and it did not go well.

After the Wild lost all six faceoffs in OT, Brett Howden finally put one past Marc Andre-Fleury, and the game was over. The Minnesota Wild have struggled in the faceoff circle since as long as I can remember… and they never seem all that concerned about fixing it.

Well, in game five that came back to bite them yet again. Oh, and notice who missed their defensive assignment on the game-winner… Jon Merrill and Josh Bogosian — two more “trusty” veterans who Hynes and Guerin played over Zeev Buium.

Can Minnesota Wild learn from their mistakes before it is too late?

And now, the Wild head back to St. Paul with their 2025 playoff lives on the line. And they have nobody to blame but themselves. Will John Hynes and Billy G. look themselves in the mirror tonight, and on Wednesday?

Will they admit that they do not have good enough “trusty” veteran talent on this roster to hold Rossi and Buium down, in order to avoid adolescent mistakes? Because on Tuesday, those veterans cost the Minnesota Wild a win in Vegas.

If we’re gonna have dudes making mistakes and costing games, why not have them be made by extremely talented youngsters who can then gain that valuable experience for future purposes, then also use their talent to help make up for said mistakes? It makes no sense.

]]> Wed, 30 Apr 2025 09:56:20 +0000 Minnesota Wild MN Wild Practice Reveals Controversial Line Combos and New Injury Updates https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/injury-updates-playoffs-eriksson-ek-johansson-game-five-lines-marco-rossi-zeev-buium/ Mon, 28 Apr 2025 17:32:01 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=62793 The Minnesota Wild have two off days in between games four and five of their first round playoff series vs the Las Vegas Golden Knights, as the 7-game set swings back to Sin City tied 2-2. So far, this has been a series mostly dominated by Wild starpower.

We haven’t heard a peep from Jack Eichel (0 goals, 1 assist, 11 shots) yet. Meanwhile, Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy have combined for 8 goals and 6 assists. The only players on roster who have produced at nearly the same rate as those two bona fide Wild stars has been Marco Rossi.

Minnesota Wild refuse to believe in Marco Rossi

Marco Rossi - Minnesota Wild
Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

The 23-year-old former top 10 pick has a MUCH different role than Kaprizov and Boldy, however. Rossi’s two goals are fourth-most for Minnesota this postseason, behind only Kaprizov (4), Boldy (4) and Foligno (3). His three points are tied for fourth most and he has a +2 +/-.

But while Kaprizov and Boldy are averaging over 22 and 24 minutes of TOI through the first four games, respectively, Marco Rossi is buried on the Minnesota Wild’s fourth line, averaging less than half of those guys’ ice time (10:53 TOI).

After Saturday’s OT loss at home, a lot of fans were hoping to see Rossi’s role expanded for game five. Unfortunately, when practice started on Monday morning, there was Marco Rossi, centering the 4th line between Yakov Trenin and Justin Brazeau.

It’s not like Marco Rossi’s point production during these playoffs is a surprise. He and Matt Boldy single-handedly kept the Minnesota Wild afloat this season, as the rest of the roster crumbled from injury, around them. Rossi finished the 2024-25 regular season 3rd on the team in goals (24) and 2nd in both assists (36) and points (60).

Related: What We Learned About the Minnesota Wild in Dominant Game Three Win Over Vegas

Yet, for whatever reason, John Hynes and Bill Guerin refuse to give Marco Rossi his chance at stardom, or anywhere near the type of respect they show their top (or even) mid-line skaters. And as of now, that doesn’t look like it will change anytime soon.

Minnesota Wild injury updates prior to game 5

Marco Rossi’s status on the fourth line wasn’t the only notable takeaway from Monday’s lines at practice. Joel Eriksson Ek didn’t skate, after he blocked a shot late in game four.

Fortunately, Hynes informed gathered media members after practice Monday that Ekker’s absence was nothing more than a rest (or maintenance) day. The Minnesota Wild expect their top-line centerman, and the heart/soul of their team, to take his usual place in the middle of the first line on Tuesday night, in Vegas.

More good news: Marcus Johansson skated on Monday and could return to the MN Wild lineup in game five, as well. Johansson served as the left wing on Minnesota’s second line this morning at practice. Johansson missed game four due to a lower body injury he suffered in the third period of game three.

Zeev Buium on the shelf in Vegas?

Marco Rossi might not be the only Minnesota Wild youngster who could continue to see a reduced role, as the playoffs role forward. After being benched for the entire overtime in game four, the No. 2 overall prospect in all of hockey, Zeev Buium, was not skating on any of the Wild’s three defensive pairings Monday morning.

After playing in all four of Minnesota’s 2025 playoff games so far, it appears Buium is likely to be replaced by Jon Merrill in game five. Merrill has yet to be active during this postseason. Zeev Buium is a -1 so far in the 2025 NHL Playoffs, with one assist and an average of 12:36 TOI.

Liam Ohgren travelling with MN Wild

Finally, let’s end on a positive note. Also on Monday, the Minnesota Wild called up top prospect Liam Ohgren from their “Black Aces” playoff practice squad, and will travel with the team to Vegas for game 5. For now, he isn’t expected to be active, but he is just one injury away from finding the postseason ice in this series.

]]> Mon, 28 Apr 2025 12:32:04 +0000 Minnesota Wild What We Learned About the Minnesota Wild in Dominant Game Three Win Over Vegas https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/what-we-learned-mn-wild-vegas-game-3-postgame-recap/ Fri, 25 Apr 2025 04:01:38 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=62687 The Minnesota Wild flew back to St. Paul for game three of their first round playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights, after tying things up 1-1 in game two back in Sin City.

With home-ice advantage now in hand, the objective for the Wild back at home was to keep that advantage while back in the Twin Cities with two home wins and a chance to clinch back in Vegas for game 5. Or course, there’s a lot of work to do before then.

What We Learned – Minnesota Wild vs Vegas Golden Knights (Gm 3)

Kirill Kaprizov - NHL Playoffs - Vegas Golden Knights at Minnesota Wild
Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

The Golden Knights are one of the best teams in the NHL for a reason and they aren’t about to hand this series lead over to the Wild without making them earn it. Through the first two periods, however, the Minnesota Wild played like they wanted it more than Vegas did.

For most of game three, the Wild were far and away the better team and they were rewarded in their effort with a 5-2 victory and a 2-1 series lead entering the weekend. So, here’s what we learned about the Minnesota Wild in a huge game three victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Reminder: The Wild have not advanced in the NHL Playoffs since the 2003-04 season.

Kirill “Jesus” Kaprizov

Easter came and went this year like normal for most of the Christian world. Some went to church, others celebrated with a bunny. But for the Minnesota Wild, “he has risen” takes on a new meaning in 2025.

Because this is the year that Kirill Kaprizov has risen from the injury ashes to come back and save the Wild and their fanbase from decades of fire and torture. After banking 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) in the first two games in Sin City, Kaprizov returned to Xcel Energy Center on Thursday hungry for more.

Yes, the Wild came out skating like chicken with their heads cut off. The entire team brought the energy from puck drop. Yet, when the first goal horn sounded, guess who set it off. Yup, Kirill Kaprizov yet again. Better yet, the primary assist went to rookie defenseman Zeev Buium on the power play.

If we have been reminded of anything during the first three games played so far in this series, it’s just how different this team is when they have their Russian superstar on the ice. Not only does Kirill do everything at an extremely high level, but he also allows his teammates to play in secondary roles they are much more comfortable in. That, in turn, makes the Minnesota Wild that much better, as a whole.

Related: What We Learned About the Minnesota Wild in Nerve-Wracking Game Two Win vs Vegas

Of course, Kirill Kaprizov wasn’t about to stop at one goale. Fast forward into the second period, with the Minnesota Wild leading 3-1 and the second intermission just seconds away, Ryan Hartman found Kirill’s stick near the net, which is never a good thing for opposing goaltenders.

The MN Wild need to play Marco Rossi more…

Heading into game three of this series, there was one player on the Minnesota Wild whose playoff role, to this point, made no sense. Marco Rossi ranked in the top three for the Wild this season in points, goals and assists. Without him, it’s very likely they would not have made the playoffs, period.

But in games one and two, Rossi totalled 12 and 9 minutes of TOI, respectively. It was just the latest showing of disrespect from Wild decision makers, when it comes to their 23-year-old Austrian centerman, who president of hockey operations Bill Guerin has been trying to trade for most of the past three seasons.

Well on Thursday, Marco Rossi didn’t see a ton more ice time than what he got in the first two games of this series, but it didn’t matter. When he was on the ice, the former No. 9 overall draft pick was making a positive impact on the game. He scored the Wild’s third goal of the contest, and assisted on Kirill Kaprizov’s second goal.

I’m not the hockey guy I wish I was, so maybe I am missing something. But it sure seems like Marco Rossi has proven himself as one of the best nine forwards playing for the Minnesota Wild. Hopefully, John Hynes and Billy G figure that out before game four because the more ice time we can get for Rossi, the better. Just like the other most talented players on roster.

The Minnesota Wild are better than the Vegas Golden Knights

Their stars came to play yet again, and outside of one Devan Dubnyk-style “how did that go in” goal allowed by Filip Gustavsson, the Wild were solid in every other phase of the game. That’s why, at the end of two periods, Minnesota held a commanding 4-1 lead.

Related: Minnesota Wild Recall Young Goalie for Playoffs

But instead of the Vegas Golden Knights mounting a high-pressure comeback in the third period, it was the Minnesota Wild who applied most of the pressure during the last 20 minutes of game three. Sure, Vegas netted an unfortunate short-handed goal, after the Wild got a little too excited trying to pot another one on the other end, and they made the last 8 minutes of game three way more difficult than it had to be, just because they couldn’t stop committing penalties.

For most of this contest on Thursday, though, it was Minnesota who held control, just like they did for most of games one and two. They have the better star talent, in Kaprizov and Boldy. So far, they’ve had by far the best goalie too. Gustavsson stopped another 30-of-32 shots in game three. All this begs the question… has it become clear through three games of this series that the Wild have the better team?

Remember, Vegas came into the first round as heavy favorites. Not only did they win a Stanley Cup just two years ago, but the Golden Knights have advanced deep into the postseason four times since the franchise was conceived before the 2017-18 NHL season.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Wild have not advanced beyond the first round since 2003-04. Maybe that’s why it feels dangerous to start crowning the Wild as the best team in this series. But at the end of the day, I have to report on what my eyes tell me.

]]> Thu, 24 Apr 2025 23:01:41 +0000 Minnesota Wild What We Learned About the Minnesota Wild in Nerve-Wracking Game Two Win vs Vegas https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/what-we-learned-min-vegas-game-two-postgame-recap-nhl-playoffs/ Wed, 23 Apr 2025 17:07:50 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=62630 The Minnesota Wild came into game two of their first round Western Conference playoff series already trailing the Vegas Golden Knights 1-0, following a gut-wrenching game one loss on Sunday.

But the Wild still went into game two with their main objective for the first road trip of this series still in sight. Steal the Golden Knights’ home-ice advantage in Sin City, before going back to God’s country for games three and four.

They needed their stars to shine and Filip Gustavsson to be the game’s best goalie, in order to complete the mission. And in the first period, they got all three of those things and then some, taking a 3-0 lead before the game got to its initial intermission, even stretching it to 4-0 early in the second period.

What We Learned – Minnesota Wild vs Vegas Golden Knights (Gm 2)

Kirill Kaprizov - Stanley Cup Playoffs -Minnesota Wild at Vegas Golden Knights
Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

But from there, the Minnesota Wild were holding on for dear life through much of the final two periods. In periods two and three, they managed to put only FOUR total shots on goal, not counting Kaprizov’s empty netter, a spin-around wrister from Salt Lake City (see below) that put the game away 5-2.

For much of the third period, though, this contest was one Golden Knights goal away from getting way too close for comfort, especially given how badly Vegas outplayed the Wild beyond the first period. So, here’s what we learned about the Minnesota Wild in their game two win over Vegas.

Filip Gustavsson was that guy in game two

But while the skaters in front of him struggled with consistency through 60 minutes, Filip Gustavsson remained steady and sturdy in net all night, a performance the Wild needed in order to win game two.

Gus Bus stopped 30 of Vegas’ 32 shots (.938 save %) and came up with huge saves that thwarted the Knights’ momentum multiple times. Right before Kirill’s game-sealing cross-ice empty-netter, Gustavsson made a sneaky good save that kept the game 4-2 and pushed the puck to Kaprizov along the boards.

The only way the Golden Knights have been able to sneak pucks past the Swede netminder, so far in this series, is via one-timer goals where he’s not squared up with the shooter.

Related: What We Learned About the Minnesota Wild in Ref-Assisted Playoff Loss vs Vegas

Take Vegas’ second goal of game two, for example, where Tomas Hertl found a sliver of open space in front of the goal crease, where he was able to easily deflect Terrangelo’s beautiful pass from nearly behind the goal, and into the back of the net.

MN Wild stars continue to shine early in this series

If there is one thing that is becoming more and more clear, as this series heats up, it’s that the Minnesota Wild might have the best two players on the ice, in Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy, who were responsible for three of the five goals in game two, along with five of the team’s total 10 points.

Kaprizov scored two goals, but it was his one assist — a beautiful 30-foot saucer pass — that landed perfectly on Boldy’s stick that sprung him for the game’s first goal that had everyone talking postgame. Matt Boldy called it the best pass he has ever received.

We were hoping that the Matt Boldy + Kirill Kaprizov connection would grow into something like what we have seen so fart in these playoffs. But hope does not make reality, so to see it play out in front of our very own eyes still feels somewhat unbelievable.

Assuming the Wild get Kaprizov under a long-term contract this offseason, we are going to be watching these two paly hockey together for the next 5-10 years, at least. And if they continue to make plays like what we have seen thought two games this postseason, that’s going to be one hell of a treat for the State of Hockey.

They’re doing it to Marco Rossi again…

This Marco Rossi thing is getting weird. I understand that he is undersized, which does not usually play well in the postseason. But we’re talking about a top five talent on your depth chart, and in game two, the Minnesota Wild had him buried on the FOURTH LINE with Justin Brazeau and Yakov Trenin. Only Brazeau skated less minutes Tuesday night than Rossi’s 9:27 TOI. He skated just 12 minutes in game one.

As a reminder, Marco Rossi racked up 60 points (24 goals, 36 assists) during the regular season. Those statistical totals ranked 2nd, 3rd and 2nd on the Minnesota Wild, respectively. With Kirill Kaprizov hurt much of the second half of the season, only Matt Boldy was more important to what the Wild did offensively than Rossi.

And now… he’s skating less than anyone else on the team, which just makes absolutely no sense. It’s not like Gustav Nyquist or Freddy Gaudreau are bonafide stars getting ice time ahead of Rossi. Could it be a faceoff problem?

Related: Bill Guerin Wants Some ā€œF*** Youā€ in Marco Rossiā€™s Game

Well Marco Rossi won 50% of his faceoffs Tuesday, in only four opportunities. During the regular season, Rossi took over 1,000 faceoffs, winning 47% of them. Meanwhile, Gaudreau won just three of his eleven faceoff attempts in game two, after coming out victorious in 48% of faceoffs during the 2024-25 regular season.

Maybe it’s a lack of size or physicality… who knows. But whatever it is, the powers that be in St. Paul do not like how the 23-year-old‘s game translates in the NHL Playoffs.When asked about his young center, Guerin told reporters Wednesday morning that Marco just needs more NHL seasoning before he’s ready for playoff hockey…

This all brings us back to why Rossi continues to be involved in trade speculation, even when he seems to do everything the Minnesota Wild ask of him.

Just when we thought Billy Guerin and John Hynes might finally be over their distaste for Marco Rossi’s game, the playoffs start and they are forced to show their true colors. We’ll see if he’s relegated to fourth line duties again in game three, or if Wild coaches are going to find a way to better utilize the kid’s talent.

]]> Wed, 23 Apr 2025 12:07:55 +0000 Minnesota Wild What We Learned About the Minnesota Wild in Ref-Assisted Playoff Loss vs Vegas https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/what-we-learned-postgame-wild-golden-knights-game-one-nhl-playoffs-recap/ Mon, 21 Apr 2025 05:14:25 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=62575 The 45-30-7 Minnesota Wild dropped the puck on the 2025 NHL Playoffs late Sunday night, in Vegas, against the 50-22-10 Golden Knights. In the final days leading up to the postseason, Minnesota got Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek, Jared Spurgeon, Marcus Johansson and Jake Middleton all back from injury.

Not only are they healthy again, but the Wild also signed the No. 2 overall prospect in hockey, Zeev Buium, last week. After a few days of practice, the 2024 No. 12 overall pick out of Denver became the first player in franchise history to debut during the playoffs.

What We Learned – Minnesota Wild vs Vegas Golden Knights (Gm 1)

Unfortunately, the MN Wild could not pull out a game one road victory in Sin City. After a hard-fought three periods, Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy & Co fell to the Golden Knights 4-2, thanks to an empty-net goal that crossed the line just as time expired.

NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Minnesota Wild at Vegas Golden Knights
Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

While the Wild never held a lead Sunday night, they dominated in multiple key facets. Surprisingly enough, that included the faceoff circle where Minnesota won 39 of 65 (60%) pucks dropped. The MN Wild also piled up a franchise playoff record 54 hits, to Vegas’ 29, led by Marcus Foligno’s career-high 11.

In the end, it wasn’t enough, though. Vegas played a stout game defensively and took advantage of opportunities, when they presented themselves. Oh, and the refs gave them plenty of help too. But what’s new, right? If opening night was any indication of what the rest of this series will be like, we’re in for a long, fun first round matchup.

So, without further ado, here’s what we learned about the Minnesota Wild in their game one loss vs the Vegas Golden Knights.

Beating Vegas + blind referees won’t be easy…

Vegas played some good hockey in game one. They deserve their postgame flowers. But it helps to have the referees on your side. Look, there weren’t a lot of penalties being called on Sunday night, period. This is playoff hockey, afterall.

It took until midway through the second period, before the Wild were called for their first penalty. They didn’t draw a power play of their own until later in the third. But boy oh boy, the zebras conveniently closed their eyes for some Golden Knights infractions that, even for a postseason game, were utterly egregious.

One of those missed calls resulted in a Golden Knights goal, too. Before Pavel Dorofeyev’s one-timer put Vegas back on top, 2-1 in the 2nd period, Tomas Hertl committed what has to be one of the most blatant faceoff circle penalties in NHL Playoff history, completely swiping Freddie Gaudreau off his feet and out of the play.

Because Gaudreau had to scramble off the ice, he was way late recovering to the point. Marcus Foligno mistakenly tried covering for him, which proved to be the wrong decision. Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson lost sight of the puck, which had been slid to the weak side, where Foligno should have stayed. Merry Christmas in April to Pavel Dorofeyev.

Related: Zeev Buium Readying for Minnesota Wild Playoff Debut

But if you thought the referees were done helping Vegas after that “missed” tripping/interference call, try again. Early in the third period, Ryan Hartman was battling for a puck up against the boards in the Golden Knights’ zone.

That’s when Vegas defenseman Nicolas Hague spun to his right and brutally cross-checked the Wild forward in the face, knocking Hartman off his skates and onto his back. Major penalty for drawing blood, right? Nope. Apparently, not one referee on the ice saw the assault with a stick taking place directly over the puck….

The Minnesota Wild may have lost game one, but there is still a lot of series left and, if we learned anything tonight, it’s that this could be a very long series against two evenly matched teams. Of course, they wouldn’t be evenly matched if Kirill Kaprizov had not returned to the Wild lineup prior to its start.

The MN Wild will go as Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy go

In the playoffs, superstars shine, and we saw that from Kirill Kaprizov in game one. He created and earned the primary assist on both of Matt Boldy’s goals, and his impact can be felt literally every time he is on the ice. No matter who the Wild are playing against, when he’s healthy, Kirill the Thrill is almost guaranteed to be the most dynamic player on either roster.

And hopefully he is healthy, because the Minnesota Wild are going to skate him in this series as if he is. Tonight, his 21:47 TOI was the second-most ice time of all Wild forwards, behind only Matt Boldy’s 22:31. I expect more Kaprizov in game two, if it’s another tight one.

Related: Minnesota Wild Recall Young Goalie for Playoffs

Sunday night, when he wasn’t creating goals for Boldy, the soon to be 28-year-old Russian phenom was causing havoc in Vegas’ zone on the forecheck or blocking a team-high three Golden Knights shots in front of Filip Gustavsson. And had Kaprizov found a way to put this bouncing puck into the back of the net, game one could have turned out much different.

Nonetheless, the Minnesota Wild need more out of their superstar than just one shot attempt. It’s up Kirill, his teammates and the coaching staff to make sure he gets more opportunities to put pucks in the back of the net on Tuesday night, during game two, which will not drop the puck until 10 p.m. CDT.

That is not a typo. So, get your sleep schedule figured out over the next two days. I’ll have my coffee-maker set for 9 p.m. Probably a mid-day nap, too.

]]> Mon, 21 Apr 2025 09:04:01 +0000 Minnesota Wild Zeev Buium Readying for Minnesota Wild Playoff Debut? https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/zeev-buium-rumors-nhl-playoffs-debut/ Thu, 17 Apr 2025 19:32:42 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=62508 The Minnesota Wild will begin their 2025 playoffs against the Vegas Golden Knights, after pulling out a somewhat miracle victory against the Anaheim Ducks earlier this week that locked in the No. 1 wildcard spot in the Western Conference.

This is the matchup the Wild were hoping for. Yes, the main objective was to get into the tournament, something that was not guaranteed until they got to overtime on Tuesday night. But, if at all possible, avoiding the best team in the NHL in round one — the 116 point Winnipeg Jets — was the ideal outcome.

Unfortunately, because their regular season finale had so much on the line, we did not get a chance to see the No. 2 prospect in all of hockey, Zeev Buium, make his NHL Debut vs Anaheim. Given he just joined the team hours earlier, the MN Wild did not feel comfortable throwing him onto the ice with so much on the line.

Zeev Buium is tracking toward NHL debut… in the playoffs?

At the time, however, head coach John Hynes did hint at the possibility he will be active for their first round playoff matchup against Vegas. On Thursday, the Wild sure looked like a team that’s ready to throw their 19-year-old rookie defenseman to the professional wolves.

In fact, Buium has been practicing with the Wild’s top power play unit the past couple days, something that Michael Russo (The Athletic) feels is a very real indicator of whether or not he’ll be in a Minnesota Wild uniform and on the ice for game one, on Sunday night vs the Golden Knights.

As a Sophomore at the University of Denver this season, Zeev Buium totalled 13 goals and 35 assists (48 points). In his two-year college career, Buium scored 24 goals and assisted on 74 more (98 points). He was far and away Denver’s best player.

In their Frozen Four loss to Western Michigan, Zeev played 51 minutes of the double-OT thriller. He’s an offensive-minded defenseman, who has as much skill as anyone at his position, though he can tend to get too aggressive and turn pucks over in precarious areas of the ice.

Minnesota Wild teammates excited to add Buium to lineup

On paper, though, Zeev is exactly what the Minnesota Wild power play has been missing all season long. More offensive firepower from the blue line. At the least, the Wild seem pretty confident he can provide that for them, even in the playoffs.

What do his new teammates think? It sounds like they want him to play too. At the end of the day, this is the NHL and the NHL is about winning hockey games. If Zeev Buium can help them do that, they don’t care what his age is.

“I’m excited for him ā€¦ if [he does play]. He’s such a good kid. I’ve gotten to know [Buium] for the past three days. And, yeah, I’m just excited. We all want this guy in the lineup. We know it’s big, but if there’s one guy he can look to is Brock Faber about how to come in. I know Brock had a couple games in before playoffs, but playoffs are playoffs, and it doesn’t matter. It’s your first game to get thrown in there.

I think just the way Zeev holds himself, carries himself, I think he’s going to be just fine going into Game One against Vegas, and he’s got the support of us as teammates, his new teammates now. And we want him to flourish. If he can be the offensive guy that we saw in college and can help us get some other looks and plays, that’s all we (want). We just gotta make sure that we’re giving him a confidence booster there that we want him to do those things and back him up.”

Marcus Foligno (quote via Michael Russo on X – @RussoHockey)

]]> Thu, 17 Apr 2025 14:36:09 +0000 Minnesota Wild Wild Are Not Ruling Out Joel Eriksson Ek Returning for Game 1 vs Stars https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/wild-arent-ruling-out-joel-eriksson-ek-game-1-stars/ Sun, 16 Apr 2023 17:58:12 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=42366 The sky has been brightening around Joel Eriksson Ek’s injury and return status in recent days. Early last week, he wasn’t even skating yet and seemed far from any sort of imminent return. But momentum began to shift later in the week when Bill Guerin told Michael Russo (The Athletic) that Ek might be a go later on in the first round, should the series against the Dallas Stars go deep.

Joel Eriksson Ek a go for game 1?

Then, Dean Evason took to the press conference podium on Sunday and wouldn’t rule out Ek’s return for game one, which is on Monday. According to Joe Smith (The Athletic) JEEK skated for 45 minutes earlier in the morning with skating coach, Andy Ness, which is usually the last step an injured player takes before getting back into practice and, eventually, back to game action. Evason confirmed that Eriksson Ek is one of the few players who doesn’t need to practice in order to play, if cleared for action by doctors.

If Joel Eriksson Ek is healthy enough to contribute to the Minnesota Wild lineup in a positive way then having him on the ice completely changes the dynamics of their 1st round series vs the Stars.

Even if he isn’t in the lineup for game 1, this news likely has the Dallas coaching staff scrambling a bit to make sure they have a plan of attack that includes Ek being on the ice, vs not. And Wild fans can take solace in knowing their favorite center will be back sooner than expected.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> Sun, 16 Apr 2023 12:58:16 +0000 Minnesota Wild Michael Russo Thinks Wild Have Lost Their Mojo Entering Playoffs https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/michael-russo-wild-lost-their-mojo/ Sat, 15 Apr 2023 21:26:50 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=42361 The Minnesota Wild will play in Dallas against the Stars on Monday to open the 2023 NHL Playoffs and they are far from full strength. Kirill Kaprizov will play in his third game returning from injury but the Wild will open the postseason without Joel Eriksson Ek, who skated for the first time on Saturday, since being injured in early April. The Wild will have to make do without Ek for at least most of the 1st round.

Michael Russo worried about Minnesota Wild entering playoffs

And that is worrisome for many who know this team, and have watched every moment of every game this season multiple times through. Like Michael Russo (The Athletic), who told Dan Barreiro on KFAN Friday that he is concerned about Minnesota’s chances vs Dallas, who he believes is one of the hottest teams in the league.

“I’m not quick to just discount [the Wild’s recent slump] like those inside the organization seem to be poo-pooing it. I’m concerned. I think that they have lost their mojo. They, for some bizarre reason — with the conference on the line and that’s what concerns me the most — they went to Vegas, after that huge win in Colorado. They were there for four days and I feel like they took their foot off the gas and haven’t been able to catch up ever since.”

Michael Russo on KFAN Radio
Have Wild lost their mojo?

Russo thinks the Wild lost their mojo when they lost two-straight games to the Las Vegas Golden Knights on April 1 and April 3. Then, they lost Ek to injury on April 6 vs the Penguins. All three games were also losses. That’s a lot of L’s.

It’s difficult to argue with Russo’s logic. He goes on to talk about his concerns for how poorly Mats Zuccarello is playing, how beat up the Wild are and how hot the rest of the Western Conference is.

“What concerns me is, and I get why the Wild have sat a bunch of their players over the last couple games, but what concerns me is, not only did you lose your game, but now could you have lost your cohesion because a lot of these guys haven’t won a lot of games together in the last little while?

Kaprizov missed 13 games and has only played two games since. Mats Zuccarello, I’m very concerned about. This is somebody that I think has had a very subpar second half and that’s dating back to before Kaprizov was hurt. Kaprizov gets back in the lineup and I didn’t see a lot of improvement in his game.”

“The fact is Vegas is on fire, Edmonton is on fire, Colorado is on fire and Dallas is on fire.”

Michael Russo on KFAN Radio

Obviously, the Minnesota Wild could hit the ice on Monday night and look like they did when they went on a hot streak for two months after the All-Star break. Or, they could find their skates in game three upon return to St. Paul and never look back.

But when someone as plugged in and knowledgeable — not just about the game of hockey and the NHL but about of the Minnesota Wild specifically — is worried about how this team is playing, entering the postseason… then I am too.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> Sat, 15 Apr 2023 16:26:53 +0000 Minnesota Wild Avalanche Coach Wants Nothing to do with Wild Come Playoffs https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/avalanche-coach-afraid-wild-playoffs/ Thu, 30 Mar 2023 17:35:36 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=42239 The Minnesota Wild (17-5-5) and Colorado Avalanche (17-6-3) have been two of the hottest teams in the NHL since the All-Star break. On Wednesday, the two Central Division rivals clashed in one of their most important regular season matchups since the two franchises joined the Central back in 2013.

Entering last night, the Wild sat just one point ahead of the Avalanche and two points ahead of the Stars, for 1st place in the Central. The winner of the division gets to host a wildcard team in the first round of the playoffs. The 2nd and 3rd place teams face each other. So with only eight games remaining on the schedule, it was a must-win game for both Minnesota and Colorado.

Wild take control of Central

It took two Freddy Gaudreau shorthanded goals, including a 4 vs 6 empty-netter, and Filip Gustavsson stopping almost double the shots (42) as Avs goalie, Alexandar Georgiev (25), but the Wild pulled out a 4-2 victory.

Colorado head coach afraid of the Wild

Those variables didn’t make Colorado head coach, Jared Bednar, feel any better about his team’s chances vs the “hottest/best team in the league”, should the Avs matchup vs the Wild, as the #2 and #3 seeds in a couple weeks.

ā€œCertainly, we donā€™t want to run into the Wild in the first round if we can help it. Theyā€™re the hottest team in the league. ā€¦ Theyā€™ve put the full package together. The last 20 games, theyā€™re the best team in the league.ā€

Colorado Avalanche Head Coach, Jared Bednar (via The Athletic)

Now three points up on both the Avs and Stars, the Wild have put the rest of the Western Conference on notice. All they do is win, even without Kirill Kaprizov on the ice. Imagine how good they might look when he returns, which should be soon. Recent reports have Kirill getting back on the ice and skating without contact this week.

And clearly, even rival coaches have no problem telling the hockey world how afraid they are of playing a first round playoff series that goes through the State of Hockey.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> Thu, 30 Mar 2023 13:38:24 +0000 Minnesota Wild Kaprizov, Fiala Disappear Again https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/kaprizov-fiala-disappear-again/ Tue, 03 May 2022 14:36:57 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=38902 Kirill Kaprizov and Kevin Fiala had historic seasons with the 2022 Minnesota Wild. Kaprizov broke franchise records in goals (47), assists (61) and points (108). Fiala had a career year, posting 85 points (33 G, 52 A) of his own, promising to make himself a rich man when he gets paid this offseason.

But there was one hurdle the two stars had yet to jump over during their young careers. Both players have struggled to be the offensive forces in the NHL Playoffs that they have regularly proven to be during the season. Unfortunately, Monday’s 0-4 Blues shutout at Xcel Energy Center will only advance their no-show playoff narrative.

The Wild struggled to find any offense 5v5 or on the power play and needed one of their stars to break the ice. But it never happened. The Wild’s 3rd line of Joel Eriksson Ek, Marcus Foligno and Jordan Greenway (GREEF) was the only grouping that challenged the Blues’ defense. They more than doubled the “Corsi For” of the two lines built to carry this team offensively. But even when confronted, Villa Hussa wasn’t letting anything through.

Dean Evason needed one of Kirill Kaprizov or Kevin Fiala to make a superstar play but nobody rose to the occasion. It felt like so many playoff games we’ve watched this team play in before. Good chances come few and far between, even while the shot attempts pile up. And when high-percentage opportunities present themselves, the Wild can’t capitalize. Deja vu.

Playoff No-Shows

Kevin Fiala has a lot more playoff experience than Kaprizov. Monday was his 30th playoff game but Kevin has just 9 goals and 3 assists in all that action. Spread over 82 games, that’s 25 goals and 8 assists, numbers that wouldn’t get anyone paid.

Kirill Kaprizov has just one playoff appearance to look back on, but the 2021 postseason wasn’t pretty for the young superstar, who posted just 2 goals and 1 assist in 7 games. After Monday night, his “games played” statistic moved to 8. Still 2 goals and 1 assist.

If the Minnesota Wild are going to turn this series around, it will be thanks to their most skilled players doing the same. Kirill Kaprizov and Kevin Fiala have to be better and they have to put some points on the board.

Those guys are what sets the Wild apart from the Blues and many teams in the NHL. If they’re neutralized, like they were on Monday night and like they have been throughout their careers, then the Wild are severely outmatched.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> Tue, 03 May 2022 09:37:00 +0000 Minnesota Wild