Minnesota Wild Clinch First Wild Card Spot

The Minnesota Wild clinched a playoff berth with a 3-2 overtime win against the Anaheim Ducks, highlighted by Joel Eriksson Ek's late game-tying goal and Matt Boldy's overtime winner. The victory secured the Wild the first wild card spot in the Western Conference and set up a first-round playoff matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights, who had dominated the regular season series. Eriksson Ek, recently returned from injury, remains a crucial contributor as the team's top center. Veteran goalie Marc-André Fleury made a symbolic final regular season home appearance, earning his NHL record 71st overtime win. This marks the Wild's 14th postseason appearance in franchise history. The playoff schedule will be released after all regular season games conclude.