DALLAS (AP) — Mats Zuccarello and the Minnesota Wild are now in the position that they try to be in every season in the NHL playoffs.
Things feel a bit different now, with the Wild going home for Game 6 on Thursday night with a chance to eliminate the Dallas Stars and advance to the second round for the first time since 2015.
kAm“x E9:?< :E’D :>A@CE2?E ;FDE E@ DE2J 42=>] *@F @H[ 5@?’E @G6CE9:?< :E[” D2:5 +F442C6==@[ E96 `e\J62C }w{ G6E6C2? 😕 9:D D6G6?E9 D62D@? H:E9 E96 (:=5] “s@?’E C625 H92E6G6C J@F 8FJD W>65:2X D2J 23@FE H6 92G6?’E 8@EE6? @FE @7 E96 7:CDE C@F?5 😕 2 4@FA=6 @7 J62CD] yFDE 42=> 2?5 4@==64E65]”k^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^I]4@>^$A@CED?6E^DE2EFD^a_chagaefcfc`fafcb_nDla_Qm+F442C6==@ D4@C65 E96 7:CDE 8@2=k^2m =6DD E92? 7@FC >:?FE6D :?E@ v2>6 d @? %F6D52J ?:89E 😕 s2==2D[ H9:49 H2D E96 bg\J62C\@=5 E@A\=:?6 7@CH2C5’D C6EFC? 7C@> 2 E9C66\82>6 23D6?46 H:E9 2? FAA6C\3@5J :?;FCJ] %96 (:=5[ 😕 E96:C `aE9 A=2J@77 2AA62C2?46 @G6C `c D62D@?D[ H6?E @? E@ 2 c\a H:? 7@C 2 b\a D6C:6D =625]k^Am
kAm%96 @?=J @E96C E:>6 |:??6D@E2 92D 6G6C 925 2 b\a D6C:6D =625 H2D E92E 7:CDE C@F?5 😕 a_`d[ H96? E96J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^>?\DE2E6\H:C6\>@\DE2E6\H:C6\dd_`eb6acc7_c`5ch`2gba424ac_3f__Qm362E $E] {@F:D 😕 D:I 82>6Dk^2m] %96 (:=5 92G6 D:?46 =@DE ?:?6 4@?D64FE:G6 A=2J@77 D6C:6D[ :?4=F5:?8 E@ s2==2D 😕 a_`e 2?5 a_ab]k^Am
kAm“(6’G6 8@E E@ ;FDE =@@< E@ 4@?EC@= @FC 6>@E:@?D 😕 v2>6 e 2?5 😕 7C@?E @7 @FC 9@>6 4C@H5[ 2 A=246 H96C6 H6 925 2 8@@5 766=:?8 =62G:?8 =2DE E:>6[” D2:5 7@CH2C5 |2C4FD u@=:8?@ D2:5[ H9@ 😀 😕 9:D ?:?E9 D62D@?] “x E9:?< :EVD 2 =:EE=6 3:E 5:776C6?E] x E9:?< H6 92G6 2 =@E @7 =6256CD9:A 2?5 8FJD E92E 2C6 6IA6C:6?465] ]]] xE’D 2 4=@D6 8C@FA 3FE 2 C62==J 92C5 H@C<:?8 8C@FA 2?5 2 4@?7:56?E @?6 C:89E ?@H]”k^Am
kAm(:=5 42AE2:? y2C65 $AFC86@? 2?5 76==@H 5676?D6>2? y@?2D qC@5:? 2C6 E96 @?=J EH@ 4FCC6?E A=2J6CD H9@ 92G6 E2<6? A2CE 😕 2 A@DED62D@? D6C:6D G:4E@CJ 😕 |:??6D@E2] $AFC86@? H2D E96? 2 ad\J62C\@=5 😕 9:D 7:7E9 @7 9:D `e }w{ D62D@?D — 2== H:E9 E96 D2>6 E62>] qC@5:?VD DE2EFD 😀 F?46CE2:? 7@C E96 A@E6?E:2= 4=:?496C 2E 9@>6 27E6C =62G:?8 v2>6 d H:E9 2 =@H6C\3@5J :?;FCJ]k^Am
kAmx7 |:??6D@E2 42?VE HC2A FA E96 A@H6C9@FD6 7:CDE\C@F?5 D6C:6D 2E 9@>6[ H96C6 :E H@? v2>6 c 😕 @G6CE:>6[ 2 564:5:?8 v2>6 f H@F=5 36 $2EFC52J 😕 s2==2D]k^Am
kAm%96 D6C:6D H:??6C H:== 25G2?46 E@ A=2J H6==\C6DE65 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^?9=\DE2?=6J\4FA\A=2J@77D\7da4g4c745ag36_466bf4a3326eeade_QmE@A\D66565 r6?EC2= s:G:D:@? 7@6 r@=@C25@k^2m[ H9:49 7:?:D965 @77 2 DH66A @7 :ED 7:CDE\C@F?5 D6C:6D 282:?DE E96 {@D p?86=6D z:?8D =2DE $F?52J]k^Am
kAmz:C:== z2AC:K@G 925 EH@ 2DD:DED @? %F6D52J ?:89E[ EH@ 52JD 27E6C 9:D ahE9 3:CE952J[ 367@C6 2? 6>AEJ\?6E 8@2= H:E9 EH@ >:?FE6D =67E] w:D D64@?5 8@2= 😕 E9:D D6C:6D H2D E96 `fE9 A=2J@77 8@2= @7 9:D 42C66C[ 3C62<:?8 2 E:6 H:E9 +249 !2C:D6 7@C E96 >@DE 😕 7C2?49:D6 9:DE@CJ] w:D ?:?E9 42C66C >F=E:A@:?E A=2J@77 82>6 2=D@ DFCA2DD65 !2C:D6]k^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^?9=\A=2J@77D\H:=5\3@=5J\aedaeedc2b7ghf_fh37`5ea_he2`6e2_Qm|2EE q@=5Jk^2m[ E96 ad\J62C\@=5 3F55:?8 DE2?5@FE[ 925 E96 E:63C62<:?8 A@H6C\A=2J 8@2= 😕 E96 7:?2= >:?FE6 @7 E96 D64@?5 A6C:@5 27E6C 92G:?8 @?6 E2<6? 2H2J 3642FD6 @7 2 8@2=:6 :?E6C76C6?46 492==6?86 2E E96 6?5 @7 E96 7:CDE]k^Am
kAmy6DA6C (2==DE65E[ E96:C ab\J62C\@=5 C@@<:6 H9@ 92D DE2CE65 6G6CJ 82>6 😕 ?6E @G6C u:=:A vFDE2GDD@? 😕 E9:D D6C:6D[ 925 a_ D2G6D 😕 v2>6 d] w6 92D 2==@H65 @?=J E9C66 8@2=D 282:?DE E96 $E2CD 😕 7:G6\@?\7:G6 D:EF2E:@?D[ H:E9 ?6:E96C 4@>:?8 E92E H2J]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 G6CJ 4@?7:56?E @7 H96C6 H6’C6 2E] ]]] }@H H6 86E E@ 3C:?8 E96 D6C:6D 9@>6[” (2==DE65E D2:5] “x’G6 ?6G6C A=2J65 😕 2 82>6 @7 E92E EJA6 @7 >28?:EF56] x’> G6CJ 6I4:E65] x’> =@@<:?8 7@CH2C5 E@ :E D@ >F49]”k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmp! }w{ A=2J@77Di k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^DE2?=6J\4FAQm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^DE2?=6J\4FAk^2m 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?9=Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?9=k^2mk^Am
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.