ST. PAUL, Minn. — A true litmus test for the Minnesota Wild’s recent remarkable run was Thursday’s showdown with the Colorado Avalanche.
Colorado has been, by far, the best team in the league all season, with just one regulation loss in their first 25 games. So when Minnesota beat the Avs in a shootout, it likely opened some eyes around the NHL.
It certainly did in the Avalanche room.
“They’re a really good team,” Avs captain Gabriel Landeskog said. “They’ve got some really good players over there, like (Matt) Boldy, (Joel) Eriksson Ek, the list goes on. It was a hard-fought hockey game. I’m sure we’ll be seeing those guys a lot more later this season.”
Who would have thought a month ago we’d see the Wild go 11-1-2 in November, riding an 11-game point streak (9-0-2) into December and tied for the fifth-most points in the NHL (33) with the seventh-best points percentage (.635)?
In October, Minnesota was a five-alarm fire, having won just three of its first 12 games (3-6-3). The Wild looked like they were on the brink of a long, lost season.
Captain Jared Spurgeon called for a players-only meeting. Marcus Foligno called the team “mellow and vanilla.” We wrote the Wild vets needed to “dig deep” or they’d be in deep trouble.
But the Wild beat the Canucks 5-2 on Nov. 1. Vinnie Hinostroza said bluntly, “We’re 1-0 in November.” Coach John Hynes said last week of what at the time reporters thought was simply a clever quote from Hinostroza, “I thought it was a good message.”
Boldy has always been a big believer, even when the team was at its worst in October. We asked him why recently.
“This is how we play,” Boldy said. “At moments, it might not be the prettiest, flashiest hockey, but we’re winning games. Our skill comes out when we play that way and play simple and everyone’s on the same page. And then the skill comes out, you see guys score and make plays all over the ice. We always had confidence in this group and knew what we’re capable of so far. So for us to go through a little adversity and be able to find it speaks to the group.”
There’s a lot of reasons for this turnaround for a team that scored first in 12 straight games and went more than 500 minutes without a deficit at one point. The players-only meeting seemed pivotal in clearing the air and getting them on the right mindset, but that wasn’t all. And the Wild feel this style of hockey is sustainable, despite Saturday’s letdown in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres. It’s more like how they’re supposed to look.
“The first month was not instinctual. We were all kind of like, ‘What the hell is going on here?’” defenseman Jake Middleton said. “This is how it’s always kind of been, this is what good teams do. Win a handful in a row, one and done and get back on the horse right away.”
So what has changed?
The stars shine
As much as Kirill Kaprizov was piling up points in the first month of the season, something just didn’t seem right with the Wild superstar. He was turning the puck over too much. He was on the ice for too many five-on-five goals against. It felt like Kaprizov was trying to do too much in an attempt to heave the team out of their struggles.
He was the epitome of being on his own page, which was the message of Spurgeon’s meeting: Everybody be the best version of yourself and trust the guy next to you to do the same.
The past few weeks, Kaprizov is really turning it on. Part of it, we’re sure, is the return of his good buddy and linemate Mats Zuccarello.
However, what separates Kaprizov from some other elite forwards is his compete level, how hard he is to knock off pucks, and we’re seeing a lot more of that. Kaprizov also had six goals in the team’s recent seven-game winning streak, including the game-winners against the Vegas Golden Knights and Chicago Blackhawks, and the two regulation goals against the Avs. Over the 11-game point streak, he scored nine times.
You need your best players to be your best players, and Kaprizov and Boldy are acting the part.
“He’s one of the best players in the league, no doubt about it,” Landeskog said of Kaprizov. “Super dynamic. Hard to play against. Edge work is very, very elite. High-end hockey sense. He reads the game really well. Fun to play against.”
And Boldy? After scoring one goal in 10 games after a scorching start to his season, Boldy has 10 goals and 16 points in his past 12.
What a star Matt Boldy has become. On a 50 goal/100 point pace this season. His box out/puck protection ability on the wall, playmaking, hands, reach, shot…Do a redraft of 2019 (not a deep elite draft as it turns out) and Boldy goes 1 or 2. Wild got him at 12. Only Jack Hughes… https://t.co/qcxPbopAXw
— BucciOT.Com (@Buccigross) November 27, 2025
Still, secondary scoring remains an issue. Kaprizov and Boldy have combined for 32 of the Wild’s 74 goals (tied for 20th in the NHL), which is 43.2 percent of the Wild’s output.
The Zuccarello effect
It’s not a coincidence that the Wild are 9-0-2 since Zuccarello returned to the lineup on Nov. 7. The highlight-reel give-and-go with Kaprizov that night was one thing — their chemistry is undeniable. And it’s no coincidence Kaprizov is smiling again, as Foligno quipped in his hero of the game hat presentations after Zuccarello’s first game back.
#SportsCenterTop10 pic.twitter.com/0cDRD4cGz1
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) November 8, 2025
But Zuccarello brought so much energy and leadership to a room that needed it. And, just as important, Zuccarello’s presence helped the rest of the lineup slot into more effective spots.
The Wild could split up Kaprizov and Boldy, and the Marcus Johansson-Eriksson Ek-Boldy line has been their main shutdown group. It allowed the likes of Foligno, Nico Sturm and Yakov Trenin to play together (when healthy).
It wouldn’t surprise us if the Wild approach Zuccarello about at least a one-year extension, if the 38-year-old veteran does have interest in playing another year. At this rate, it feels like he’s got a lot of hockey left.
The shutdown line
Eriksson Ek has the feel of a player who should be in the Selke Trophy conversation. He’s the Wild’s most irreplaceable player, their matchup center, and he’s quietly had a really good run with Johansson and Boldy. In 101:12 minutes at five-on-five, the trio has allowed just two goals and has a 47.98 Corsi-for percentage, which is impressive considering the matchups they’re facing every night. They were tackling Jack Eichel with Vegas, Connor Bedard with Chicago, Sidney Crosby with Pittsburgh, etc. You could see Avs coach Jared Bednar, for example, try to get MacKinnon’s line away from them in the third period of Friday’s game.
Below is a chart that shows top-line centers in recent games against the Wild and their expected goal percentage with Eriksson Ek as the opposing center compared to any other Wild center:
Opponentvs. Eriksson Ekvs. Others
Nathan MacKinnon
51.1%
65%
Connor Bedard
14.8%
58.5%
Sidney Crosby
25.3%
31.8%
Sebastian Aho
37.5%
42%
Jack Eichel
36.2%
100%
Leo Carlsson
25.4%
100%
Macklin Celebrini
3.9%
57.4%
Data from Natural Stat Trick
Eriksson Ek has also vastly improved in the faceoff circle. Overall, he has won 293 and taken 557, both second-most in the NHL. His 52.6 faceoff winning percentage ranks 24th for centers who have taken at least 300 draws and 12th for centers who have taken at least 400. In November, he won 53.7 percent of his draws.
Johansson is having a terrific year, making him one of the league’s top bargains at $800K, with at least a point in 18 of 26 games. Boldy is always “on” and he’s been able to produce offensively while also playing well in his own end and on the PK. If Kaprizov is the team’s best player, Boldy isn’t far behind in star status.
Last season, Hynes loaded up with Eriksson Ek, Boldy and Kaprizov in the playoffs, and they were very good and dynamic together. But now they have the flexibility of this Eriksson Ek line being a matchup one, while also being able to go to a Foligno-Sturm-Trenin combo. And when Hynes is trying to spur things along or entice third-period rallies, he’s lately pulled out the Connor McDavid/Leon Draisaitl-like nuclear option by playing Kaprizov and Boldy together with Eriksson Ek.
The goaltending
The Wild have been defending a lot better this past month, which is part of their rise. As Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said before Saturday’s game, few teams in the league pack it in and protect the middle of their own zone better than the Wild.
But they’re also getting improved goaltending from their tandem of Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt, who have truly made this a rotation vs. a strict No. 1 and backup.
Wallstedt has been on a roll, winning his last six starts (1.14 goals-against average, .967 save percentage and three shutouts) and going 7-0-2 so far this season. Wallstedt’s save percentage jumped mightily from .863 in three October starts.
JESPER WALLSTEDT THE MAN YOU ARE pic.twitter.com/eltKXYy4RR
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) November 28, 2025
They’ve come up with more timely saves and given the Wild a chance during their streak. Gustavsson’s save percentage went from .892 in October (nine starts) to .923 in November (eight starts).
Overall, Wallstedt has saved 7.3 goals above expected, according to Money Puck, and Gustavsson 6.2. The Wild’s .944 team save percentage in November ranked first in the league.
The kids
Wallstedt’s turnaround from last year has given Minnesota a big boost, but he’s not alone among young players stepping in. Zeev Buium seems to have found his stride since the two-game trip in Raleigh and on Long Island, realizing what he can do at this level and what he can’t. Left-shot defenseman Daemon Hunt stepped into the lineup after sitting the first month and played really solid hockey while Zach Bogosian was out, often on his off side.
But the emergence of Danila Yurov has been really helpful. The Russian rookie went from the fourth line to the top line with Kaprizov and Zuccarello, and he’s looked really comfortable in doing so. The fact Hynes can trust Yurov there, especially with Marco Rossi sidelined, has been a difference-maker. That allows Eriksson Ek to be in his slot on the shutdown line and the rest of the forward group to flow.
Trenin wins the battle, Yurov finishes it off pic.twitter.com/FCVQIHiVEm
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) November 23, 2025
“The last couple games where he’s been elevated to the top line or the top six, I thought he’s grabbed the opportunity and doesn’t shy away from responsibility,” veteran center Nico Sturm said. “Hynsie obviously has no issues pairing him up against the other team’s top six, and obviously (I) tried to give him as much support as I can on those smaller details, faceoffs, that kind of stuff.
“But he’ll be a great player in this league, I have no doubt. There’s going to be downs, too, for him. It’s normal, especially in your first season in the NHL. As you get more games on your belt, sometimes there comes a little bit of a hole, but he’s got all the support and you can tell that he’s got all the tools that he needs to become a good center in this league.”
The defense
In October, the Wild gave up 27 five-on-five goals, tied for seventh-most in the NHL. In November, the Wild gave up 16, the second-fewest.
First of all, the Middleton-Spurgeon pair has been sensational. Saturday’s first period against Buffalo was the first time in 16 games either Middleton (203 minutes, 9 seconds) or Spurgeon (225:45) had been on the ice for a five-on-five goal against. Over that span, the Wild had outscored opponents 11-0 with Middleton on the ice and 10-0 with Spurgeon.
BROCK FABER SHORTY! 2-0 #mnwild pic.twitter.com/Q3g0uIH4cf
— Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) November 23, 2025
Brock Faber has been a completely different player. In his first nine games, Faber had no points, 18 shots and was minus-5. The Wild were 3-5-1 in those games. In his past 17, Faber has six goals, nine assists, 44 shots and is plus-4. The Wild are 11-2-4 in those games.
Mostly, the Wild got back to their identity. They’ve been more physical (312 hits in November compared to 268 in October) and blocked more shots (217 compared to 173).
Yakov Trenin leads the league with 121 hits, while Foligno ranks 13th with 77 in 23 games. He had 44 in 12 games in November, ranking ninth with 16.77 hits per 60 minutes. So he looked more himself despite still searching for his first goal and now being sidelined with a lower-body injury.
In November, Jonas Brodin tied for 13th with 31 blocked shots, while Spurgeon had 25.
The penalty kill
The Wild’s penalty kill finished the month on a 35-for-38 (92.1 percent) stretch.
In October, the Wild killed 60 percent of their penalties (32nd). In November, they killed 91.9 percent (third). In October, their combined special teams were 89.2 percent (29th), and that was with a 29.2 percent power play (fourth-best in the NHL). In November, their combined special teams was 110.5 percent (third), with a power play that had slipped to 18.6 percent in the month (12th).
Why was their PK, which also scored short-handed on goals by Boldy and Faber, so much better?
“It’s just kind of clicking,” said Middleton. “We’re rolling with it. Everyone’s reading well off each other. We’re not ever in high-panic situations and thank God when we are, the goalies have been a huge part of that success. So it’s all working right now.”
Added Sturm, “I definitely think finding some stability with pairs and stuff is important. That’s what you’re going to have when you go into playoffs that you have your partner that you know. Everybody’s tendencies are a little bit different, whether they like to anticipate or not anticipate. I think draws have been pretty good overall in the D zone and penalty kill opening draws. That helps a lot if you can get the puck all the way down the ice for 20 seconds. So, structure’s been good.
“A lot of it sometimes, too, is you’re just riding a hot streak a little bit sometimes. Then there’s streaks (where) maybe three or four in a row go in, but doesn’t necessarily mean there’s something inherently wrong in that phase. It’s just a little bit of both. But I do like the structure.”