Will They Hold On? | Wild Wednesday
It is officially the final week of the regular season and as many of us figured it would be, it is going to be a nail-biter. The Wild have only four games left to be played and currently sit in the second Wild Card spot with 91 points (42-29-7). The first Wild Card spot is still up for grabs as the Blues finally lost a game on Monday after winning their last 12. The Blues currently have 93 points (43-29-7) but have played one more game than the Wild. If the Wild can pass them and secure the first Wild Card they would face the Vegas Knights first round, but if they remain in the second spot, they will face the Winnipeg Jets. The first team out of the playoffs is Calgary, who could still pass the Wild if everything goes their way. They have a game in hand and 87 points (37-27-13).
Vancouver saved themselves from being officially eliminated from the playoffs Tuesday night in an unbelievable come-back win against the Dallas Stars. Vancouver became the first team in NHL history to erase a three-goal deficit in the final minute of the regulation and forced overtime where they won 6-5. Vancouver sits at 85 points and are down to a .2% chance of making the playoffs according to MoneyPuck.com. If the Wild secure two points against San Jose on Wednesday, the Canucks will be eliminated.
The Wild’s huge win against Dallas on Sunday did relieve some pressure on this final week, but as we all know, anything can happen in the NHL...
They are Back!
The day that we have all been waiting for has officially arrived... Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek are set to return to the lineup Wednesday night against the San Jose Sharks. Kaprizov has only played in three games since Dec. 26 and underwent surgery in January for a lower-body injury. Ek has missed the past 21 games with a lower-body injury.
It has been a frustrating second half of the season with how ambiguous the Wild have been on their returns, but at least Guerin did keep his promise that they would indeed be back by the end of the regular season.
Kaprizov is especially known for having slow starts, so having both him and Ek return a few games before the playoffs is huge for this team.
Buium to Potentially Arrive...
Selected in the first round of the 2024 NHL draft, the University of Denver defenseman Zeev Buium is expected to join the Wild’s roster after the Frozen Four tournament concludes.
Buium’s season could be over as soon as Thursday night as Denver is set to play Western Michigan in the semifinals. The championship game will be played Saturday night.
Buium was named player of the year in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference in March and has an impressive 48 points through 40 games with Denver this season. He leads the league for most points by a defenseman and is one of the favorites to win the Hobey Baker Award.
With defenseman Jake Middleton listed as day-to-day, the Wild could certainly use a defender like Buium to join the team right before the playoffs.
Looking Forward...
As mentioned earlier, the Wild are set to play the San Jose Sharks Wednesday in St. Paul and the game to watch will be on Friday where they will face the hunting Calgary Flames. Fleury is scheduled to start against the Sharks, which will most likely be his final regular season home game.
If the Wild somehow let tonight’s game against the Sharks get away from them, the pressure will be even more ramped up for Friday night’s game where Gus will be in net.
The Wild have a back-to-back on Saturday in Vancouver and they conclude their regular season by returning home where they will face the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday.
All in all, this season has surpassed many of our expectations after the Wild missed the playoffs for the first time since 2012 last season. It is a shame the Wild battled so many injuries after having such a promising start to the season. If there is one thing we learned from this season, it is how this team can overcome any adversity it faces and still make it an exciting season.
It only gets better from here... The Wild are officially through with ‘Cap Hell’ after this season and have some of the most impressive prospects across the league set to join the team. So, whatever happens this season, this team is setting itself up to be a real weapon in the coming seasons.
Kelly Rivard
Kelly is a Minnesota native and a proud Gopher alumna who enjoys making people laugh and spending time with family. Her skills include going 5/6 on parlays, managing multiple incredibly great (fantasy) sports teams and throwing 30 mph fastballs. When she’s not at the X, Target Field or US Bank Stadium cheering on her favorite teams, you can find her pouring drinks for customers at her hometown pub.
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