In their biggest game of the season, the Wild took a 1-0 lead on the Nashville Predators on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena, momentarily masking the fact that they had been outplayed for most of the game’s first 10 minutes.

Again, momentarily.

It took the Predators less than a minute to erase that deficit and take a lead they never relinquished in a 6-1 victory that kept Minnesota stalled six points out of the Western Conference’s eighth and final playoff spot pending a late game between Los Angeles and Vancouver.

If the Kings were to win that game, Minnesota would be eight points out with 22 regular-season games remaining.

Yakov Trenin and Cole Smith scored goals 8 seconds apart in the first period, and Juuse Saros stopped 33 of 34 shots as Nashville put eight points between themselves and their Central Division rival.

Connor Dewar scored for the Wild, who have lost consecutive games for the first time since Jan. 25-27, as well as all the progress they had made during a 7-1-1 run out of the all-star break.

Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi, Ryan O’Reilly and St. Paul’s Ryan McDonaugh also scored goals for Nashville, which has won seven in a row to solidify its playoff position, seven points ahead of ninth- and 10th-place Calgary and St. Louis.

The Wild play the Blues, a point ahead in the standings, on Saturday at Enterprise Center.

“Obviously, we wanted that one tonight. We want every one,” Wild forward Vinni Lettieri told Bally Sports North. “We’re just looking at the next game. We can’t look ahead, we can’t look at the standings. Staying in the present moment is the biggest thing for us.”

Forsberg’s power-play goal at 17:55 of the second period made it 3-1, and Roman Josi — who finished with three points — scored at even strength 1:32 into the third period to make it 4-1 Nashville, which has hovered in and around a playoff spot for most of the season. The teams play once more this season, March 10 in St. Paul.

Consecutive losses to Nashville and Anaheim dropped the Wild seven points out of a playoff spot heading into the all-star break, but after back-to-back road wins in Edmonton and Seattle last weekend, Minnesota was back within two points of both the West’s two wild card playoff spots.

Two losses later — Carolina beat Minnesota 3-2 at Xcel Energy Center on Tuesday — the Wild again find themselves in a deep hole.

Filip Gustavsson stopped 25 shots for Minnesota, keeping the Wild within spitting distance in a first period spent mostly in the Wild zone. Minnesota had a hard time getting the puck across the Predators’ blue line, and when they did, spent little time there.

The Wild opened the scoring on a rush when Brandon Duhaime threw a shot on net from the high slot that Saros couldn’t contain. Dewar followed, corralled the rebound and buried it for a 1-0 lead at 9:51.

But it didn’t last long.

The Predators quickly set up shop, again, in the Wild zone. Roman Josi took a pass at the point and skated across the circles, turning his back to protect the puck, before sending a backhanded pass to the crease. Trenin, camped behind Marco Rossi, beat Gustavsson to the puck and it was 1-1 at 10:40.

Nashville won the ensuing faceoff and threw the puck into the Wild zone. Declan Chisholm intercepted it between the circles but was picked by Smith, who skated around the defenseman to score at 10:48 a 2-1 lead.

Minnesota played a much stronger second period, but Saros made a pair of big saves on shots by Zach Bogosian and Joel Eriksson Ek, and the Predators finally scored on Forsberg’s power play goal with 2:05 left in the period. His wrist shot from atop the right circle was redirected by Jonas Brodin’s stick and past a sprawling Gustavsson for a 3-1 lead.

Briefly

Bogosian was playing his first game back from an upper body injury suffered Feb. 20 at Winnipeg.

Simley did something Thursday it had never previously achieved in the program’s storied history — win a sixth straight state title.

SilmeyÕs Derrick Dohmen celebrates after defeating Mantorville KeymoniÕs Jonah Coleman in the 145lb division during the Class 2A team championship of the State Wrestling Tournament at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Thursday, February. 29, 2024. (Craig Lassig / Special to the Pioneer Press)

The Spartans did so by besting longtime rival Kasson-Mantorville 32-26 to win the Class 2A crown at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. And while the performance wasn’t quite as dominant as the Spartans have been in recent years, it was at least equally — if not more — impressive.

The Spartans graduated a lot of firepower from a year ago and lost three contributors from this year’s lineup to season-ending injuries midseason. And, in the end, it didn’t matter. Because, as it often does, Simley found a way.

Whether that was through wrestlers shifting spots in the lineup to make the lineup work or guys stepping up to make unexpected contributions, the Spartans refused to allow the program’s standard to slip. It certainly was upheld Thursday night in St. Paul.

Turner Ross and Austin Grzywinski delivered tech fall victories at 107 and 114 pounds to put the Spartans up 10-0. Those were expected victories for the Spartans. But it was at 121 pounds where Simley scored an important nail-biter, as Aiden Mincey edged Spencer Myers 7-6 to extend Simley’s lead to 13-0.

Simley’s first pin of the match came at 127 pounds from Jake Kos, who drew the fall in the waning moments of the second period. Justus Heeg scored a victory over Aiden Friedrich in another top-10 showdown to move the Spartans’ advantage to 22-0.

Kasson-Mantorville didn’t get on the board until the 139-pound match, when Owen Friedrich delivered a technical fall. Simley bounced back immediately, with senior captain Derrick Dohmen coming up with an upset victory at 145 pounds. Dohmen, ranked No. 10, edged fourth-ranked Jonah Coleman 3-2.

A win for Cash Raymond at 152 pounds in a match featuring a pair of top-three ranked wrestlers extended Simley’s lead to 29-5.

The cushion was necessary, as Kasson-Mantorville cut into the Spartans’ lead via a pair of pins to make it 29-17.

No matter, Vristol Short — nephew of Simley coach Will Short — secured the title in the following match with an overtime takedown.

STMA WINS 3A

St. Michael-Albertville lost a heartbreaker a year ago, squandering a 32-9 advantage to fall to Hastings in stunning fashion, with the Raiders finishing the duel with three straight pins to win the Class 3A state title by a single point.

There was no such collapse for the Knights on Thursday. A year later, St. Michael-Albertville got its state title in dominant fashion, besting previously unbeaten and top-seeded Mounds View 47-10.

On paper, the Knights and Mustangs figured to be an electric duel. Mounds View’s rise to the top of the state rankings this season has been nothing short of impressive. But St. Michael-Albertville always appeared to be a peer given the depth of talent each team sported.

But seemingly every expected close match Thursday went the way of the Knights.

St. Michael-Albertville scored a trio of coin flip victories to jump out to a 9-0 advantage.

Grant Bergeron topped Owen LaRose at 107 in a battle of top-seven ranked wrestlers, then fourth-ranked Lincoln Robideau pulled off a mini upset of second-ranked Brett Swenson in overtime. Then Brady Bergeron bested Will Schneider 6-2.

Chase Mills delivered a pin at 127 pounds, and the Knights were off and running with a 15-0 advantage.

Mounds View is strong in the middle and upper weights, where it has made its hay all season. The problem is the Knights are just as formidable at nearly every step. Mounds View’s Apollo Ashby is the No. 2 ranked wrestler at 152 pounds. But the Knights’ Landon Robideau is a dominant top-ranked wrestler who won via tech fall.

At the next weight, Jarrett Wadsen scored an upset via pin for St. Michael-Albertville in a top-five showdown to essentially put the duel away. St. Michael-Albertville’s Jed Wester put an exclamation point on the proceedings via a tech fall victory at 172 pounds over third-ranked Ethan Swenson.

Put simply, it was the Knights’ day, and their year.

Perhaps Mounds View will be the Knights of next season, getting back to the same stage and potentially getting over the top. The Mustangs will return five ranked wrestlers on next year’s squad, four of which are ranked in the top four at their respective weight classes.

OTHER RESULTS

— Chatfield won the Class A title with a 47-7 victory over Staples-Motley.

— Apple Valley fell 45-11 to Shakopee in the Class 3A quarterfinals. Shakopee went on to take third place.

— Hastings, the defending champ in Class 3A, lost tight quarterfinal 33-32 to Albert Lea. The Raiders reached the consolation final, where they fell to Willmar.

— Totino-Grace and Becker tied 30-30 in the third-place match in Class 2A

Bernice Steinke laughs as she looks over the dozens of birthday cards she received for her 25th birthday in her St. Paul home Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

It was 100 years ago that Bernice Steinke was born in an ambulance on the way to a St. Paul hospital.

So why is she only turning 25 this week?

She’s a leap day baby.

When your birthday only comes around every four years, it’s pretty special. Especially when you are turning 25 — or 100, depending on how you look at it.

So on Thursday — the anniversary of that ambulance ride — she looked back on her long life from her home in St. Paul.

1924

A photo of Bernice Steinke and her parents, Etta and Dellenter Sparks, from 1928. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

On leap day in 1924, Calvin Coolidge was serving as the 30th U.S. president. Earlier that month, George Gershwin debuted “Rhapsody in Blue,” a jazzy-classical composition that would become the year’s biggest hit. As for prices, a first-class stamp cost 2 cents.

In St. Paul, the Pioneer Press reported that at least five babies were born locally on leap day that year — but only Steinke’s debut was unusual enough to warrant a separate story.

“Child is born as ambulance goes to hospital,” the headline read. “Drivers amazed when they hear wail with four miles to go.”

Born about a block from her home on Kerwin Street on the East Side of St. Paul, the baby was named Etta Bernice Sparks.

Since her mother was also called Etta, the baby went by Bernice — though she was also known as Sparky.

It would be awhile before Bernice could celebrate her first birthday. Over time, she got used to it, celebrating whenever it was most convenient.

“I call them my unbirthdays,” she says of non-leap years.

‘Leap year kids’

Bernice Steinke points to a newspaper photo of herself and other leap day babies celebrating their birthdays in 1936 while in her St. Paul home on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Growing up during the Great Depression and coming of age during World War II, life wasn’t always easy for this St. Paul kid, but she made the best of the novelty of her leap day birth.

Sometimes, it even got her invited to parties like the one a local paper was throwing.

“Dear Friend Editor,” she wrote to the Daily News in 1936. “I think it is very nice of you to give us leap year kids a break like this. My name is Bernice Sparks and I live at 527 N. Western Ave. I will be 12 years old the 29th. And will you please let me know if you are going to have the party in the afternoon or the forenoon? Thank you, Bernice.”

“You’re welcome, Bernice!” the paper replied. “And for your information and the rest of those kiddies who were born Feb. 29, the big Daily News party for leap year children is going to be held at 2 p.m. at the Orpheum theater next Saturday.”

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After graduating from Johnson High School in 1942, she attended college in Mankato before meeting her future husband, Fred Steinke, back here in St. Paul.

They met after the war, as employees at Buckbee-Mears Company, a manufacturer that was located in Lowertown.

“He was a stencil cutter and I was a racker packer,” she says.

Fred and Bernice got married in February 1952 — a leap year. They also bought a house that month and, of course, celebrated her actual birthday on Feb. 29.

“I always joke that Fred arranged it that way so he’d only have to get me one card that month,” she says with a laugh.

Happy times, sad times

A photo of Bernice Steinke with her late husband, Fred Steinke, and their newborn son Alfred in 1953 in front of their St. Paul home. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Bernice still lives in the house on the East Side that she moved into as a newlywed.

This is the place where they raised their four kids — Alfred (now 70), Sylvia (now 69), Kenneth (now 68) and Ruth (now 62). There were happy times here, like holidays and birthdays (and unbirthdays) and accordion dance parties. There were sad times, too: Fred passed away of a heart attack in 1974 when their youngest child was only 12.

To support her family, Bernice returned to work, focusing on the elderly and aging as she first coordinated a home-delivered meals program and eventually worked for the St. Paul Public Housing Agency in a senior high rise.

She’s been retired since 1988, but kept busy with activities like cross-stitching and quilting as well as volunteering at Eastern Heights Lutheran Church on Ruth Street, where she and her husband helped found a school (that their children attended). She also sang in the choir and volunteered both at the church and school for many years. She is still a member today, and it’s where her family will hold a birthday party for her this weekend.

These days, she enjoys talking about her seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren, who range in age from about 9 months to 46 years. One is coming from Canada to attend her party on Saturday.

‘Today, I’m having fun’

Bernice Steinke blows out candles on her 25th birthday cake in her St. Paul home on leap day, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Like any 25-year-old, Steinke has goals: One of them is to go for a ride in a hot-air balloon (if you know someone who can help make this wish come true, let us know).

On Thursday, though, she settled for elevating her feet in her recliner while opening a stack of birthday cards and visiting with her oldest child, Alfred Steinke, and her daughter-in-law, Jeanne Zimmer. She also blew out the candles on a lemon poppyseed Bundt cake that her granddaughter, Erin Buss, made for her.

Of course, she also was interviewed by the Pioneer Press, which seems fitting since we wrote about her 100 years ago. Our chat was interrupted when she got a call from her brother, Bob — he’s 94 years old.

“Happy Birthday!” said Bob.

“Thank you!” she replied.

“100!” he said. “That’s amazing. Wow.”

So how does it feel physically, to be 100 years old?

“Sometimes it doesn’t feel so great,” Steinke said. “But today, I’m having fun.”

Her faith is a comfort, too: Her large-print Bible is within reach of the recliner.

When asked the secret to a long life, her thoughts turn to God.

“It says in the Bible: God gives everyone a purpose when they are born,” she says. “Maybe I haven’t finished mine.”

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INDIANAPOLIS — After watching him struggle in an elevated role, the Vikings informed running back Alexander Mattison on Thursday afternoon that they will be releasing him ahead of free agency. A source confirmed move to the Pioneer Press after it was initially reported by ESPN.

It was an underwhelming performance for Mattison last season after taking over for star running back Dalvin Cook in the backfield. Though he was expected to see an uptick in production as the leadback, Mattison never gained any traction, finishing with 180 carries for 700 yards. He eventually lost his starting job to fellow running back Ty Chandler toward the end of last season.

The decision to release Mattison will net the Vikings around $3.35 million in cap room.

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