NFL
By Steve Rogers
Wild Are Icy Hot
For most of the last month, the Minnesota Wild have been the hottest team in the NHL. During this stretch, they’ve posted an astonishing record of 16-1-4. The Wild have risen to first place in the Central division. What might be even more impressive is that during most of this surge, the Wild have been playing without undoubtedly their best player Kirill Kaprizov. Kaprizov went down with a lower-body injury back on March 9, 2023. Now deep in the playoff race, every game matters with seven games left. Usually, when a team loses its best player for an extended period the expectation is to try and stay around .500. However, this Wild team has found a whole new level and is playing their best hockey at the right time too. Over their last five games, the Wild are 4-0-1.
Double-Down Against Las Vegas
The next two games for the Wild will be against the Las Vegas Knights. The first will be in Las Vegas and the other will be back in St. Paul on Monday, April 3. As of now, the Wild are just two points back from the Knights for the number one spot in the Western Conference. These next two games could very well be deciding the overall one seed for the West. The Wild’s confidence has to be flying high as they are fresh off a convincing road win against the defending Stanley Cup winners the Colorado Avalanche. Another road win for the Wild would give them a tie with the Knights for the number one seed in the Western Conference. If the Wild can return home and win again on Monday they would jump ahead of the Knights and take sole possession of first place out West.
1 vs 1
Let’s take a quick look at the top two players for both teams. For the Wild, that’s left-wing Kirill Kaprizov. For the Knights, that’s center Jack Eichel. For the year Eichel has 60 points. He has a plus-minus of 22. He has 27 goals and 33 assists. Kaprizov meanwhile has 74 points. Kaprizov is tied for tenth in the league with 39 goals along with 35 assists. However, his plus-minus is just six. He has a dozen more goals than Eichel and hasn’t played in three weeks! Overall he has 14 more points on the year. These are two of the league’s brightest young stars as Eichel is 26 and Kaprizov is only 25. It is rather unfortunate that Kaprizov will not be on the ice for either of these matches.
Breaking Boldy
Matt Boldy was the Wild’s 2019 first-round draft pick number 12 overall. He has done nothing but impress us since. Boldy came in last year and was not overwhelmed being on the big stage as a rookie. In 47 games last year he scored 15 goals and added another 24 assists. Boldy had 39 points and a plus-minus of 17. The Wild were so impressed with him that they signed him to a 7-year extension worth $49 million. How has Boldy responded? How about playing in all 75 games thus far? He has nearly doubled his goal total from last year currently he has 28. Boldy is on a hot streak he has 11 points in 11 straight games. It looks like there’s more than one north star here in the state of hockey.
Wild Predictions
The Wild will look to continue to ride this hot streak they have been on lately. Bolstered by the hot hands of Boldy. As they continue to await the healthy return of Kaprizov. It looks like it will be just in time for the playoffs. The Wild took a loss against Las Vegas. They now look for revenge on the Knights and then a matchup versus Pittsburgh. Building the hold they have in the Central division the home stretch starts NOW.
