The Minnesota Wild have spent the opening stretch of this season doing the kind of damage that usually wins you games before the other side realizes what happened: they’ve owned special teams.
Through six games, Minnesota sits at the top of the NHL on the power play at 36.8 percent, going 7-for-19, and it also leads the league on the penalty kill at 91.7 percent, having stopped 22 of 24 chances. That combination has helped push the Wild to a 4-1-1 start and into first place in the Central Division.
What makes the start stand out is not just the percentage, but the consistency. Minnesota has scored a power-play goal in every game so far, matching a franchise record for consecutive man-advantage goals to begin a season. That kind of run suggests a group that expects to cash in once the whistle goes its way.
Kirill Kaprizov has been at the center of it, scoring two power-play goals and piling up nine points in six games. Quinn Hughes has also been a major factor, with four power-play points during a two-goal, nine-point start. Max Shabanov added to the trend with a power-play goal against Vegas, giving Minnesota an early lead in a game it controlled.
The power play has looked built on more than a hot streak. The Wild have shown structure, traffic at the net, and fast puck movement, with Joel Eriksson Ek doing his part by screening and stirring up problems around the crease on Shabanov’s goal.
If the power play has been the headline act, the penalty kill may be the more important piece of the story. Minnesota has given up only one power-play goal all season, and Monday night it killed off five Vegas opportunities. At one point, while shorthanded, the Wild even outshot the Golden Knights 6-1.
That hasn’t come from goaltending papering over a soft kill, either. The Wild have been assertive with sticks and skating lanes, breaking up entries and creating chances the other way when they’re down a man.
The personnel mix has helped, too. Blake Coleman, Olli Maatta, and Maxim Shabanov have given John Hynes more reliable options in those situations.
Behind them, Jesper Wallstedt has been excellent, posting a .933 save percentage and a 1.82 goals-against average in six starts. Still, the Wild’s penalty killers have been keeping chances from becoming clean looks before they ever get to Wallstedt.
That’s the kind of detail that points to a structure that can hold up.
Minnesota’s 4-2 win over Vegas showed exactly how much damage special teams can do. The Wild beat a 5-1-0 Golden Knights team by winning that battle decisively: one power-play goal, five successful kills, and no power-play goals allowed.
The 4-1 win over the Florida Panthers played out in the same lane. Kaprizov scored a hat trick, Wallstedt stopped 29 of 30 shots, and Minnesota killed all five Florida power plays.
In both games, special teams did more than simply chip in. They protected leads and kept the opponent from finding momentum. That matters even more for a Wild team dealing with early injuries, because strong special teams can make up for a lot when five-on-five play isn’t perfect.
The big question is whether this pace can last.
Probably not at this level. Minnesota is not going to finish with a 41.2 percent power play or a 95.5 percent penalty kill. Those are elite numbers, and they usually come back to earth as the season goes on, opponents adjust, and the schedule gets harder.
Even so, the signs underneath the percentages look real. The power play has scored in every game and is creating repeatable looks around the net.
The penalty kill has been aggressive and organized, with strong support from the goaltending behind it. A finish somewhere around top-10 on both units is a more reasonable place to expect Minnesota to land than staying No. 1 in each.
That would still make the Wild dangerous. The early return is clear enough: the special teams have not been a mirage. The numbers should cool, but if Minnesota keeps winning those battles even close to this often, it’s going to stay a problem in the Central Division.
In Other News...
Wild Injury Problems Just Reached Jared Spurgeon
The injury list around the Wild has been piling up early enough that every new absence feels less like bad luck and more like part of the nightly routine. Brock Fabers fractured skull already put a major dent in the blue line, and injuries have also touched Filip Gustavsson, Nick Foligno and Marcus Foligno, leaving Minnesota to juggle its roster while trying to stay afloat through the opening stretch.
Now the burden has reached captain Jared Spurgeon, who was unavailable for the next game after getting hurt in the previous matchup. With Nico Sturm also leaving that game after taking a shot to the head, the Wild had to rework things again for their meeting with the Winnipeg Jets, a reminder that the team is spending as much energy adjusting its lineup as it is trying to build any kind of early-season rhythm. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Waste Another Kaprizov Night In Frustrating Home Loss
Kirill Kaprizov did his part, but it still was not enough to keep the Wild from getting burned at home again. Minnesota fell 5-2 to Winnipeg in the second game of a back-to-back, and Kaprizov accounted for both goals while trying to drag a tired lineup into the points column against one of the Wests steadier clubs.
The Jets did most of their damage through balance and speed, with Cole Perfetti striking twice and Mark Scheifele piling up a goal and two assists. Winnipeg also got a big night from its top line, leaving the Wild to sort through another frustrating result in a building where they needed more than a standout effort from their star winger. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Suddenly Have A Goalie Dilemma Fans Should Be Watching
Jesper Wallstedt has given the Wild something they always want but rarely get for free: steady goaltending while the incumbent is out. With Filip Gustavsson sidelined by offseason hip surgery, Wallstedt has handled the primary job well enough to keep Minnesota from feeling the absence as sharply as it might have, and it has quietly changed the shape of the season in net. What looked like a temporary fill-in assignment is starting to feel like a real evaluation of where the organization stands at the position.
Gustavsson is expected back later in the year, and when he does return the Wild will have a decision to manage rather than a simple handshake and a thank-you. Two capable goalies can be a luxury, but they can also become a logjam when the offseason arrives and the club has to weigh contracts, roles and possible trade interest. For Minnesota, the upside is obvious. The harder part may be figuring out how to keep both goalies happy, and whether that is even realistic. [Read more 🡒]