The way they structure the NHL playoffs, if the Oilers see Minnesota again, it would not be until the second round of the postseason, sometime in May. And for most Edmonton fans, that would be absolutely fine.

Fourth-line reserve Tyler Pitlick wasn’t even supposed to play on Saturday, added to the Wild line chart just minutes before the game as an illness replacement. When the former Centennial High School standout scored Minnesota’s sixth goal, on the way to a 7-3 blowout in Edmonton, it was as sure a sign as any that everything was clicking for for the visitors on this night.

In all, 15 members of the Wild got a mention on the score sheet – including goalie Jesper Wallstedt, who had a first period assist – as Minnesota swept its season series with Edmonton, which has represented the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Final the previous two seasons.

“We talk about being a good team and I thought all four lines, I thought all six D contributed and our goaltender played well and that’s what we needed against this team is to have a good team game,” Wild coach John Hynes said. “I think it’s good to see us be able to get some scoring throughout the lineup. That always give you a competitive advantage.”

Wallstedt finished with 40 saves in the win, while usual suspects like Joel Eriksson Ek, Kirill Kaprizov, Quinn Hughes, Mats Zuccarello, Brock Faber and Vladimir Tarasenko scored for the Wild, who are now on a 6-1-1 run with two games to play before the Olympic break.

Wallstedt, who blanked the Oilers in Edmonton in their first meeting of the season, got a notable test less than 90 seconds into the game when a long pass sprung star forward Connor McDavid on a breakaway. The Wild goalie stuffed McDavid’s shot and got a stoppage.

The reprieve was short-lived, as the Oilers took an early lead when star forward Leon Draisaitl got ahold of a Minnesota turnover and scored his 27th goal of the season. But Minnesota answered on the game’s first power play, when Eriksson Ek got behind the Oilers defense. The breakaway goal was his third in the past four games.

After the Oilers grabbed the lead back, Wallstedt was run over in the crease, and the Wild tied the game 2-2 when Kaprizov answered almost immediately on the ensuing power play. It was the 30th goal of the season for Kaprizov, giving him 30 or more goals in four of his six NHL seasons.

“Special teams was huge tonight. We battled through their pushes and took advantage of our opportunities,” said Faber, who now has a career-best 12 goals this season. “Wally was great. Overall I thought it was a pretty good game for us.”

Minnesota took complete control of the game in the second, scoring three to case the Oilers’ starting goalie and take a 5-2 lead into the final period.

Zuccarello’s goal off a faceoff play in the opening minute of the middle frame gave the Wild their first lead. That was followed by Hughes chasing his own shot that went wide of the net and banking it off the goalie. It was Hughes’ fifth goal of the season, and his third since the December trade that brought him to Minnesota.

When Tarasenko banked a shot off the far post and in, that was all for Oilers’ starter Tristan Jarry, who was lifted after 15 saves on 20 shots. Connor Ingram finished the second period without facing a shot, and had seven saves in the third, as Edmonton’s season-long three-game win streak was halted as their NHL-best power play was thwarted twice. Wallstedt credited his teammates with getting in the way of several pucks.

“They do a great job boxing out, letting me see shots and blocking shots as well there,” Wallstedt said after improving to 14-5-4 this season. “We’re a team. It’s a team success and and great to get a big win tonight.”

The Wild host Montreal on Monday, in their final pre-Olympics home game.

Briefly

Wild center Nico Sturm was a late scratch on Saturday due to illness. Pitlick took his spot on the fourth line along with Vinnie Hinostroza and Marcus Foligno. Sturm, who missed October and most of November with an injury, has three goals and six assists in 33 games for the Wild this season.

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The kids deserve a treat right now. All of the tension and trauma that’s been brought to the Twin Cities by federal agents has had an especially harsh impact on the area’s children.

School schedules have been erratic since the killing of Renee Good, kids of color have been caught up in the sweeps, and – try as their parents might to shelter them – children can certainly sense the conflict that permeates the urban atmosphere.

This might be the ideal time to take some young ones to Children’s Theatre Company’s production of “Go, Dog. Go!” or “Ve Perro Ve!” It provides a comical escape from our current difficulties, one that’s especially appropriate for those aged in the single digits. But the adults who accompany them may also benefit from the unrelenting silliness. It’s basically 80 minutes of constant clowning with the extra benefit of teaching the kids some rudimentary Spanish.

If you’re familiar with P.D. Eastman’s 1961 book, you know it to be a slight one, dropping young readers into brief vignettes involving anthropomorphized canines riding in race cars, working on a construction project and partying in trees, among other adventures.

In this ultra-playful adaptation by Allison Gregory and Steven Dietz, physical humor is the point of the project, and CTC’s six actors and two musicians throw themselves into the challenge with impressive enthusiasm and unflagging energy. Serving as alpha dog is Kimberly Richardson, who’s proven herself on multiple area stages to be a performer with her own unique brand of eccentric physicality. It’s seldom been employed to such delightful comic effect as here, be she working the crowd pre-curtain, pirouetting about on one roller skate or tap dancing on bubble wrap.

Kimberly Richardson, from left, Julia Diaz, Zachary David Hodgkins and Cooper Lajeunesse in Children’s Theatre Company’s production of “Go Dog Go! Ve Perro Ve!,” a bilingual adaptation of P.D. Eastman’s children’s book, in which dogs drive, swim, play baseball and race to a big dog party. The show runs through Feb. 22, 2026 at the Minneapolis theater. (Kaitlin Randolph / Children’s Theatre Company)

Yet this is truly an ensemble show, in which each performer has multiple opportunities to shine, executing some splendidly silly bits together, such as delivering CPR to a sandwich or convincingly channeling their inner tots during some post-bedtime horseplay. Director Juliette Carrillo displays a strong feel for dynamic contrast, the pace ebbing and flowing in engaging fashion, as when a placid interlude of shadow puppetry gives way to a road rally.

It’s all served well by the imaginative music of (mostly) Michael Koerner, delivered onstage by the duo of accordionist Victor Zupanc and guitarist Joe Cruz. I say “mostly,” because there are enjoyable interpolations of “The Girl from Ipanema,” “Besame Mucho” and “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” often employed to shift the mood abruptly for maximum laughs. And the book’s recurring question of “Do You Like My Hat?” is resolved in a propulsive merengue spearheaded by Eric Romero.

The scenic design of Sara Ryung Clement and the lights of Paul Whitaker bring Eastman’s illustrations to vibrant life, as do the boldly colored costumes of Danielle Nieves. They employ one clever idea after another, such as having the racing dogs’ scarves starched into windblown horizontal position.

Be prepared that this show breaks the fourth wall, with performers combing the crowd and tossing balloons about. And expect to participate as a student of Spanish, identifying objects and colors as if in a beginner’s class. In that regard, “Go, Dog. Go!” – or “Ve Perro Ve!” – adds a little education to a very entertaining theatrical respite.

‘Go, Dog. Go! Ve Perro Ve!’

When: Through Feb. 22

Where: Children’s Theatre Company, 2400 Third Ave. S., Mpls.

Tickets: $99-$25, available at 612-874-0400 or childrenstheatre.org

Capsule: Kids will likely love these comical canines.

Rob Hubbard can be reached at wordhub@yahoo.com.

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By PHILIP MARCELO

NEW YORK (AP) — From tech titans to Wall Street power brokers and foreign dignitaries, a who’s who of powerful men make appearances in the huge trove of documents released Friday by the Justice Department in connection with its investigations of Jeffrey Epstein.

Many have denied having close ties to the late financier, or at least having anything to do with his alleged sexual abuse of girls and young women that led to his arrest on sex trafficking charges.

None have been charged with a crime connected to the investigation. Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019. Yet some of them maintained friendships with Epstein, or developed them anew, even after he became known as a predator of young girls and registered sex offender.

Here’s a primer on some of the notable names in the Epstein files:

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

The man formerly known as Britain’s Prince Andrew has long been dogged by questions about his relationship with Epstein, including allegations from the late Virginia Roberts Giuffre that she was trafficked by Epstein and instructed to have sex with Mountbatten-Windsor when she was 17.

The former prince has repeatedly denied that it happened, but his brother, King Charles III, still stripped him of his royal titles late last year, including the right to be called a prince and the Duke of York.

Mountbatten-Windsor’s name appears at least several hundred times in Friday’s document release, including in Epstein’s private emails.

Among the correspondence is an invitation for Epstein to dine at Buckingham Palace, Epstein’s offer to introduce Mountbatten-Windsor to a 26-year-old Russian woman, and photos that appear to show Mountbatten-Windsor kneeling over an unidentified woman lying on the floor.

Elon Musk

The billionaire Tesla founder turns up at least a few times in Friday’s document release, notably in email exchanges in 2012 and 2013 in which he discussed visiting Epstein’s infamous Caribbean island compound.

But it’s not immediately clear if the island visits took place. Spokespersons for Musk’s companies, Tesla and X, didn’t respond to emails seeking comment Friday or Saturday.

Musk has maintained that he repeatedly turned down the disgraced financier’s overtures. “Epstein tried to get me to go to his island and I REFUSED,” he posted on X in 2025.

Richard Branson

The billionaire founder of Virgin Group Limited exchanged numerous emails with Epstein in the years after he pleaded guilty to soliciting sex from a minor and agreed to register as a sex offender in Florida in 2008.

In a 2013 exchange, Branson invited Epstein to his own private Caribbean island.

“Any time you’re in the area would love to see you,” he wrote. “As long as you bring your harem!”

In another message that year, he suggested Epstein rehabilitate his image by convincing Microsoft founder Bill Gates to tell the public how Epstein had “been a brilliant adviser to him” and had “more than learnt your lesson and have done nothing that’s against the law since.”

A Branson spokesperson suggested the “harem” comment referred to adult members of Epstein’s staff. The spokesperson also said Branson eventually severed ties with Epstein after learning more about the “serious allegations” against him.

Steven Tisch

The New York Giants co-owner is mentioned more than 400 times in the files released Friday. Correspondence between the two shows Epstein offered to connect Tisch to numerous women over the years.

In one 2013 email exchange with the subject line “Ukrainian girl,” Epstein encouraged Tisch to contact a particular woman, whose physical beauty he praised in crude terms.

“Pro or civilian?” Tisch asked in reply.

Tisch, a scion of a powerful New York family that founded the Loews Corporation, has acknowledged knowing Epstein but denied ever going to his infamous Caribbean island.

“We had a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, and in addition, we discussed movies, philanthropy and investments,” said Tisch, who also won an Academy Award in 1994 for producing “Forrest Gump.” “As we all know now, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with.”

Casey Wasserman

The president of the committee for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles exchanged flirty emails with Epstein confidant Ghislaine Maxwell, Friday’s document release shows.

In a 2003 exchange, Wasserman wrote to Maxwell: “I think of you all the time. So, what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?”

In another, Maxwell asks whether it will be foggy enough during an upcoming visit “so that you can float naked down the beach and no one can see you unless they are close up?”

Wasserman released a statement Saturday saying he never had a personal or business relationship with Epstein and that he regretted the correspondence with Maxwell, which he said came “long before her horrific crimes came to light.”

Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking and abuse of minors.

Ehud Barak

The former Israeli prime minister and his wife turn up frequently in the documents released Friday, showing they stayed in regular contact with Epstein for years, including well after his 2008 guilty plea for sex crimes in Florida.

Among the correspondence are plans for a 2017 stay at Epstein’s New York residence. Other missives discuss mundane logistics for other visits, meetings and phone calls with Epstein.

Barak has acknowledged regularly visiting Epstein on his trips to New York and flying on his private plane, but maintains he never observed any inappropriate behavior or parties.

Barak served as Israel’s prime minister from 1999 to 2001 and later served as its defense minister.

Howard Lutnick

President Donald Trump’s commerce secretary visited Epstein’s private Caribbean island with his family on at least one occasion, records released Friday show.

That appears to contradict prior statements he’s made claiming he cut ties with the disgraced financier, who he’s called “gross,” decades ago.

But emails show Lutnick and his wife accepted an invitation to Little St. James in the U.S. Virgin Islands in December 2012 and planned to arrive by yacht with their children.

The former chairman of Newmark, a major commercial real estate firm, also had drinks on another occasion in 2011 with Epstein and corresponded with him about the construction of a building across the street from both of their homes.

The Commerce Department, in a statement, said Lutnick had “limited interactions with Mr. Epstein in the presence of his wife and has never been accused of wrongdoing.”

Sergey Brin

The billionaire Google co-founder made plans to meet with Epstein and Maxwell at his townhouse in New York years before he was publicly accused of sexually abusing underage girls, emails show.

In one exchange in 2003, Maxwell invited him to join her at a screening of the Renee Zellweger film “Down with Love” in New York.

She followed up a few weeks later to invite him to a “happily casual and relaxed” dinner at Epstein’s house. Brin offered to bring along Google’s then-CEO Eric Schmidt.

Spokespersons for Google didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment Saturday.

Steve Bannon

The one-time adviser to Trump exchanged hundreds of friendly texts with Epstein, some sent months before his 2019 arrest and jailhouse suicide.

The two discussed politics, travel and a documentary Bannon was said to be planning that would help salvage Epstein’s reputation.

One 2018 exchange, for example, focused on Trump’s threats at the time to oust Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. In a 2019 message, Bannon asked Epstein if he could supply his plane to pick him up in Rome.

Bannon hasn’t responded to emails seeking comment.

Miroslav Lajcak

A national security adviser to the Slovakian prime minister, Lajcak resigned Saturday after his past communications with Epstein appeared in Friday’s document release.

Opposition parties and a nationalist partner in Fico’s governing coalition had called for him to step down.

Lajcak, a former Slovak foreign minister and a onetime president of the U.N. General Assembly, has not been accused of any wrongdoing, but was photographed meeting with Epstein in the years between his initial release from jail and his subsequent indictment in 2019 on sex trafficking charges.

He said his correspondence with Epstein were part of his diplomatic duties.

___

Associated Press journalists from around the country contributed to this report.

St. Paul police officers are investigating the fatal shooting of one person, the department said on X Saturday.

Officers are at the scene of the shooting, which they say took place on the 900 block of York Avenue in the Payne Phalen neighborhood.

This is believed to be the first homicide of the year in St. Paul.

After six years of homicides numbering at least 30 in St. Paul, the city tallied 15 homicides last year.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

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