The Minnesota Wild are the top team in the NHL. Here are 3 reasons for their dominance.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — As of Wednesday afternoon, the Minnesota Wild (17-4-4) are on top of the NHL standings with 38 points and hold a four-game winning streak.
The Wild were tied in points with the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday afternoon, but a 3-2 overtime thriller over the Vancouver Canucks in St. Paul that night propelled Minnesota to a two-point lead over Winnipeg, who lost to the St. Louis Blues that evening.
The decisive goal in Tuesday's win at the Xcel Energy Center was delivered by Kirill Kaprizov following several key saves by goalie Filip Gustavsson. While their stellar performances thus far in the season have grabbed the attention of hockey fans, injury resilience and the ability to win on the road are two other key factors as to why the team is best in the league right now.
Kaprizov and Gustavsson fueling Wild's charge
Kaprizov, an early favorite for the NHL's Most Valuable Player, leads the league in points with 39. He's tied for third-most goals in the league with 16 and tied for seventh in assists with 23.
He currently holds a four-game points streak, dating back to Nov. 29 when he recorded an assist against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Between the pipes, Filip Gustavsson has a league-leading goals against average of 2.04 and touts a 12-4-3 record. His .929 save percentage is tied for third-best in the league and, according to the team, has allowed two goals or less in 14 of his 19 starts.
Injury resilience
Last month, veteran winger Mats Zuccarello sustained a lower-body injury after getting hit by a teammate's shot during a game against the Montreal Canadians. On Tuesday, the team placed Zuccarello on long-term injured reserve. Zuccarello, who is playing his 16th season in the NHL and sixth with Minnesota, had six goals and eight assists prior to his injury.
Winger Matt Boldy, who has played on a line with Kaprizov in place of Zuccarello, has helped the team fill the missing offensive production with 11 goals. Second-line center Marco Rossi has also helped the team in scoring production with seven goals.
Also on Tuesday, the team placed veteran defenseman Jonas Brodin and center Jakub Lauko on injured reserve. Both players have missed the last three games due to injury.
Despite Brodin's missing veteran presence on the blue line, former Gophers standout Brock Faber is playing just under 25 minutes per game and holds a plus-minus of plus-12 this season.
Team captain and savvy defenseman Jared Spurgeon has been picking up the slack on both ends of the ice, netting two goals against the Chicago Blackhawks on Nov. 29 and scoring the game-winning overtime goal against the Nashville Predators the following night.
The acquisition of David Jiricek from the Columbus Blue Jackets last week is expected to strengthen the Wild's defensive depth, providing support for potential challenges ahead. Minnesota gave up four draft picks, including a first-round pick in 2025 (top five protected), in return for the 21-year-old prospect.
Road warriors
The Wild are the best team in the league on the road, holding a 10-1-3 record. In October, the team went on a seven-game road trip and won five of those games.
Goalie Marc-André Fleury has been perfect away from St. Paul this season, winning all four games he's started in net.
Minnesota will look to continue their road dominance with a three-game road trip against the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and Utah Hockey Club.
The first of those three games is Friday night in Anaheim.
Note: The above video first aired on Oct. 9, 2024.
