In three weeks, the anxiety will ramp up again as the Wild begins a stretch drive of 23 games with the objective of making the playoffs for a second consecutive year.
In the interim, Mike Yeo will head to Mexico and, like his players, try to unwind, get some R & R and relieve some stress before returning to Minnesota following the Olympic break.
"It'll take about three days probably before I stop dreaming about hockey, before I stop writing things down in the middle of the night," the Wild coach said.
General Manager Chuck Fletcher is sticking around during the 20-day break. Sure, he'll try to unplug a bit himself, but his goal is to address needs before the March 5 trade deadline. There is a freeze on trades until Feb. 24, the day after the Olympics end.
Of course, the elephant in the room is the Wild goaltending situation, which will need to be put in clearer focus for the stretch run.
The Wild is 11-4-2 in its past 17 games, with a six-point advantage in the Western Conference wild-card race.
"Like every team, we have needs, but this year is interesting because with the cap situation so tight on every team, you're probably only going to be able to address one need," Fletcher said. "It's going to be hard to go out and do everything, so you almost need to pick the most pressing.
"We could probably use upgrades, but we've become a pretty tight-knit team through this last stretch, so I'd be very comfortable finishing the season with the team we have."