SCOUTING THE WILD (35-16-5)
KEY PLAYERS
Kirill Kaprizov, LW: Quite frankly, Kaprizov is the player for which the Wild and its fan base have been waiting for 20 years — a legitimate scorer who can take over a game at any time. The likely Calder Trophy winner as rookie of the year, Kaprizov amassed 27 goals and 24 assists and collected three game-winning goals. Now he takes his game to the playoffs.
Cam Talbot, G: Wild GM Bill Guerin knew he had to improve his team's goaltending last offseason, and he did just that by adding Talbot. The veteran went 19-8-5 with a 2.63 goals-against average and .915 save percentage. There is a concern, though. Talbot has given up 24 goals in his past six games.
Kevin Fiala, LW: With Kaprizov taking the starring role, Fiala slotted in nicely to the No. 2 role, scoring 20 goals and dishing out 20 assists while also leading the team with 14 power-play points. He's shown he can score in the playoffs — three goals in four games last year — and the Wild might need him to do it again.
MUST STEP UP
Matt Dumba, D: The fast, mobile 26-year-old is making his fifth playoff appearance, and he's been held to one goal and two assists in the past three postseasons. A feast-or-famine player at times, Dumba had six goals and 15 assists this season. He's due for some playoff success.
X-FACTOR
Joel Eriksson Ek, C: Maybe this category should be "Ek-Factor." The 24-year-old Swede not only had career bests of 19 goals and 30 points this season, but he also proved to be a defensive pain in the posterior for the opponent's top line, constantly getting under their skin. That's just the type of game of which playoff heroes are made.
BREAKING IT DOWN
Offense: Under coach Dean Evason, the Wild likes to use all four lines, and that has been successful this season with the team ranking eighth in the NHL with 3.23 goals per game. Kaprizov and Fiala are the go-to scorers, but the line of Marcus Foligno-Joel Eriksson Ek-Jordan Greenway has supplied 37 goals. And don't forget the re-emergence of Victor Rask (10-13-23).
Defense: The Wild's blue line top six are taking up $31.67 million in salary cap space this season, so it's clear that management values defense. The team has two elite-level pairings in Jared Spurgeon-Ryan Suter and Jonas Brodin-Matt Dumba, and a solid third pairing in Ian Cole-Carson Soucy. The Wild has allowed 2.86 goals per game, 16th in the NHL.
Goaltending: Talbot and rookie Kaapo Kahkonen have complemented each other well, especially during a February stretch in which Kahkonen won nine consecutive games while Talbot was returning from an injury and COVID-19 issues. Kahkonen struggled down the stretch, allowing 36 goals in his last eight starts. The net will be Talbot's this postseason.
