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The NHL’s official stats website listed four distinct scenarios involving eight different teams by which the Minnesota Wild could clinch a playoff spot on Thursday. They were apparently in a “do it yourself” frame of mind and chose the most straightforward way: win.
Paced by a pair of goals from Matt Boldy, the Wild will head to the postseason for the second time in three seasons under coach John Hynes, via a 5-2, come-from-behind victory over the Vancouver Canucks at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.
Ryan Hartman added two goals of his own and Kirill Kaprizov also scored for the Wild, who got 29 saves from Filip Gustavsson in the win. Minnesota will head to the postseason for the 15th time in the franchise’s 25-year history.
Boldy, who had gone more than two weeks without a goal, got loose near the midway point of the first and broke the dry spell when he glanced at linemate Marcus Johansson to draw the goalie’s attention then snapped a low shot between the netminder’s knees for an early lead.
Vancouver tied it with the teams skating 4-on-4 when a fortunate rebound off the end boards caught Gustavsson leaning the wrong way. Just 42 seconds later, the visitors took the lead on a power-play goal.
Trailing by a goal after the first, Minnesota needed just 23 seconds of the middle frame to tie it up. This time, Boldy stole the puck from former Wild defenseman Zeev Buium at the far blue line and went in alone on a breakaway, finding the five-hole again. It was Boldy’s fifth multi-goal game of the season.
With his second goal, Boldly had taken over the team lead with 40, but Kaprizov matched him before the game reached the midway point, scoring to give the Wild a 3-2 lead after a pretty cross-ice pass from Mats Zuccarello. Boldly and Kaprizov became the first duo in Wild history to each score 40 in a season.
Quinn Hughes was credited with the second assist on Hartman’s third-period insurance goal, giving him a team single-season record of 46 helpers by a defenseman in a season. It was Hughes’ 43rd game in Minnesota since the December trade from the Canucks. The previous record of 45 assists by a blueliner was set in 78 games by Ryan Suter in the 2017-18 campaign.
Nikita Tolopilo finished with 32 saves for the Canucks, who have lost seven of their past eight games. They pulled him for an extra attacker with more than three minutes remaining but Hartman hit the empty net to seal the game.
The Wild, who play just two of their final seven games at home, head back on the road next, with back-to-back afternoon games in Ottawa on Saturday and Detroit on Sunday.
After being a healthy scratch for the past two games, Danila Yurov was back in the Wild lineup on the fourth line, and relative newcomer Nick Foligno came out of the lineup for the first time since he was acquired from Chicago in a trade deadline deal last month. During the team’s Thursday morning skate, Hynes made it clear that Foligno’s absence was just a night off and not due to injury.
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Paced by a pair of goals from Matt Boldy, the Wild will head to the postseason for the second time in three seasons under coach John Hynes, via a 5-2, come-from-behind victory over the Vancouver Canucks at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.
Ryan Hartman added two goals of his own and Kirill Kaprizov also scored for the Wild, who got 29 saves from Filip Gustavsson in the win. Minnesota will head to the postseason for the 15th time in the franchise’s 25-year history.
Boldy, who had gone more than two weeks without a goal, got loose near the midway point of the first and broke the dry spell when he glanced at linemate Marcus Johansson to draw the goalie’s attention then snapped a low shot between the netminder’s knees for an early lead.
Vancouver tied it with the teams skating 4-on-4 when a fortunate rebound off the end boards caught Gustavsson leaning the wrong way. Just 42 seconds later, the visitors took the lead on a power-play goal.
Trailing by a goal after the first, Minnesota needed just 23 seconds of the middle frame to tie it up. This time, Boldy stole the puck from former Wild defenseman Zeev Buium at the far blue line and went in alone on a breakaway, finding the five-hole again. It was Boldy’s fifth multi-goal game of the season.
With his second goal, Boldly had taken over the team lead with 40, but Kaprizov matched him before the game reached the midway point, scoring to give the Wild a 3-2 lead after a pretty cross-ice pass from Mats Zuccarello. Boldly and Kaprizov became the first duo in Wild history to each score 40 in a season.
Quinn Hughes was credited with the second assist on Hartman’s third-period insurance goal, giving him a team single-season record of 46 helpers by a defenseman in a season. It was Hughes’ 43rd game in Minnesota since the December trade from the Canucks. The previous record of 45 assists by a blueliner was set in 78 games by Ryan Suter in the 2017-18 campaign.
Nikita Tolopilo finished with 32 saves for the Canucks, who have lost seven of their past eight games. They pulled him for an extra attacker with more than three minutes remaining but Hartman hit the empty net to seal the game.
The Wild, who play just two of their final seven games at home, head back on the road next, with back-to-back afternoon games in Ottawa on Saturday and Detroit on Sunday.
Briefly
After being a healthy scratch for the past two games, Danila Yurov was back in the Wild lineup on the fourth line, and relative newcomer Nick Foligno came out of the lineup for the first time since he was acquired from Chicago in a trade deadline deal last month. During the team’s Thursday morning skate, Hynes made it clear that Foligno’s absence was just a night off and not due to injury.
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