The Minnesota Wild find themselves in an intriguing position as they gear up for a pivotal Game 5 against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night. Despite falling short in their quest to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the first round of the playoffs, head coach John Hynes remains optimistic about his team’s performance and the series as a whole.
“Ah, man, we’re in a good spot,” Hynes remarked, reflecting on the hard-fought battle that brought them to this moment. “It was a tough game; we played well again. The game was right in our hands. Both teams competed hard, and we knew it would be a challenging series. We love where we’re at. We’re just going to keep grinding.”
The Wild entered Game 4 with a lead heading into the third period, a position that brims with promise. However, the Knights managed to score two unanswered goals, turning the tide before Minnesota fought back to force overtime, only to see it slip away on an Ivan Barbashev winner. Despite the disappointment, the Wild have shown they’re more than capable of keeping pace with the reigning Stanley Cup champions, which is no small feat considering they came into the series as heavy underdogs.
Veteran forward Marcus Foligno echoed the sentiments of his coach, instilling confidence in the locker room despite the series being tied. “Two-two doesn’t scare us. This is a series. They’re a heck of a team. It’s not going to be easy. It was a good game by both sides, and this is what we expect. Best out of three going back to Vegas, and yeah, we’re in a good spot. We’ll keep our heads up here. We played a hard game, and it’s got to be the same effort in Vegas.”
The Wild are now looking to break a streak that has haunted them for nearly a decade, having failed to win a series in their last eight playoff appearances. Their last victory in a playoff round came during the 2014-15 season when they took down the St. Louis Blues in six games before falling to the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round—who would go on to claim their third title in just six seasons.
One of the X-factors in this year’s playoff push has been the dynamic duo of Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy. Both players have stepped up when it matters most, and their performance will be crucial if Minnesota hopes to regain home-ice advantage and set themselves up for a chance at playoff success after a long drought.
Adding to the Wild’s confidence is Filip Gustavsson, who has been solid in goal, especially during the team’s back-to-back 5-2 victories in Games 2 and 3. “I think the feeling in the locker room is very good. Everyone has a lot of confidence right now,” Gustavsson shared. “If we’re playing like we did today and in the last game, we have a really good chance at beating this team.”
As the Wild look to get revenge for a tough seven-game series loss to the Golden Knights in 2021, all eyes will be on T-Mobile Arena as the puck is set to drop just past 9:30 p.m. ET. The stakes couldn’t be higher as they contend not just for a game but for a place in the annals of franchise history.
