After rallying back this week from a seemingly insurmountable deficit, the Wild managed to force overtime against the Chicago Blackhawks, where they eventually prevailed in a shootout.
The thrilling comeback further highlighted a recurring trend.
Though the Wild have established themselves as Stanley Cup contenders since acquiring superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes last month, they have been to overtime in nearly half the games he has been in uniform.
“There have been a lot of tight games the past couple of weeks,” veteran winger Marcus Foligno said. “I don’t know if it’s us not trying to finish the job. There have been times where we’ve had some good starts and we haven’t had goals to show for it. That’s helped a team maybe stick around, and it’s kind of bit us a little bit.”
That helps explain why the Wild (30-14-10, 70 points) only had 19 regulation wins heading into their matchup with the Calgary Flames on Thursday night at Grand Casino Arena.
That total paled in comparison to the other top teams in the Central Division, as the Colorado Avalanche (35-7-9, 79 points) had 32 regulation wins before playing the Montreal Canadiens, while the Dallas Stars (30-14-9, 69 points) had 26 regulation wins before playing the Vegas Golden Knights.
It was actually more in line with the bottom teams in the Central Division, as the Winnipeg Jets (21-24-7, 49 points) had 19 regulation wins before playing the Tampa Bay Lightning, while the St. Louis Blues (19-25-9, 47 points) had 18 regulation wins before playing the Florida Panthers.
There’s a reason the Wild don’t have more regulation wins under their belt. No team in the NHL has been to overtime more this season.
Obviously, the Wild deserve credit for finding a way to come out on top once they reach overtime; it’s the biggest reason they’ve been able to establish themselves among the top teams in the NHL.
“I wouldn’t read too much into that,” center Nico Sturm said. “I think it’s a little bit of an outlier.”
Or maybe the Wild are the outlier in their current form. Currently, they’re on pace for 29 regulation wins, which would be by far the lowest total for a Stanley Cup champion since COVID shortened a pair of campaigns during the pandemic.
— In 2021-22, the Stanley Cup champion Avalanche finished with 46 regulation wins.
— In 2022-23, the Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights had 38 regulation wins.
— In 2023-24, the Stanley Cup champion Panthers had 42 regulation wins.
— In 2024-25, the Stanley Cup championship Panthers had 37 regulation wins.
Though it’s not necessarily a prerequisite for hoisting the hardware, the Wild would represent something of a statistical anomaly if they went on to win the Stanley Cup this season without notching regulation wins with more regularity.
Asked last week about how much Wild have been to overtime, head coach John Hynes pushed back on the notion that his players are content getting there, saying, “We’re trying to win in 60 minutes.”
That seems like it would be a good idea.
Briefly
Though he was on the ice for morning skate before the Wild played the Flames, veteran defenseman Zach Bogosian wasn’t ready to return from a lower body injury and was set to miss his 11th straight game. He’s getting closer; he’s just not quite there.
Related Articles
Olympics invite is bittersweet for news for Wild’s Marcus Johansson
Flair for the dramatic as Wild rally to beat Chicago in a shootout
Veteran injuries mean on-ice lessons for young Wild defenders
Twin Cities unrest has been ‘devastating’ for some Wild players
Recent spate of OT shows Wild NHL parity
Leave a Reply