Wild clinch playoff spot with 5-2 victory over Canucks

Sarah McLellan, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Apr 2, 2026

Published in Hockey

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Wild have officially made the playoffs.

They clinched by rallying for a 5-2 win against the Canucks on Thursday at Grand Casino Arena in Quinn Hughes’ first game vs. Vancouver since the blockbuster trade that sent him to the Wild for Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren and a first-round draft pick.

But it was Matt Boldy who was in the spotlight.

Boldy scored twice to become a first-time 40-goal scorer and just the fourth player in Wild history to reach the milestone.

Kirill Kaprizov also hit 40 goals after breaking a 2-2 tie in the second period to complete the Wild’s comeback from being down 2-1 on two Canucks goals in 42 seconds.

Hughes did pick up an assist, on the first of two Ryan Hartman goals, Mats Zuccarello had two assists, and goaltender Filip Gustavsson stopped 30 shots as the Wild emerged from a four-day layoff with their fourth win over their last 10 games (4-5-1).

The Wild are the fourth team in the NHL to clinch a playoff berth, joining Colorado, Dallas and Carolina.

They’re third in the Central Division with 96 points (42-21-12) and if they stay there, the Wild would open the first round on the road against Dallas; the second-place Stars are six points ahead of the Wild.

How it happened

The Wild were finally back in action after a so-so road trip that ended March 28 with a 6-3 loss at Boston, and they looked refreshed after combining rest and practice during the downtime.

Boldy gave them a 1-0 lead after a slick keep-in at the blue line from Joel Eriksson Ek led to Boldy driving to the net and flipping the puck five-hole on Vancouver goalie Nikita Tolopilo just 8:32 into the first period; Marcus Johansson also earned an assist on the play, with the Wild reuniting one of their most dominant lines of the season in their return home.

But the Canucks regrouped on back-to-back shifts later in the period after a Wild power play was cut short by a tripping penalty by Eriksson Ek on Ohgren behind the Wild net.

During 4-on-4 play, Teddy Blueger’s shot bounced off the boards and right to Tom Willander for a one-timer past Gustavsson with four minutes to go in the first. Then during Vancouver’s first of two power plays, Jake DeBrusk batted in a rebound off the post. The Wild power play went 0 for 2.

Turning point

When the Wild resurfaced for the second period, they took control.

Only 23 seconds into the period, Boldy took the puck away from Buium at the Vancouver blue line to skate in for a breakaway that he lifted over Tolopilo’s glove.

By 6:08, Kaprizov tied Boldy at 40 goals when he polished off a give-and-go with Zuccarello.

Hartman tipped in a Zuccarello shot 6:03 into the third period for the 4-2 final, and Hughes’ assist was his 46th with the Wild to pass Ryan Suter (2017-18) for the most in a season by a Wild defenseman. Hughes also became the fastest player in team history to post 50 points, getting there in 43 games.

With 1:08 left, Hartman dumped his second goal of the night into an empty net from 138 feet away. Kaprizov and Boldy set him up, giving Boldy a three-point game.

Boldy nearly had a hat trick late in the second period when he stickhandled through two Canucks players before getting off a shot that sailed wide.

Hughes also came close to scoring, getting denied by Tolopilo (32 saves) on a breakaway out of the penalty box in the second.

The superstar was traded to the Wild on Dec. 12 after he was drafted seventh overall by Vancouver in 2018, became captain and won a Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman.

But the Canucks felt Hughes wouldn’t re-sign after his contract expired in 2027, and the team worked to facilitate a trade that would suit him. Hughes, 26, left after 459 games during parts of eight seasons as the best defender in Vancouver history.

Since Hughes’ departure, Vancouver has remained last in the NHL, and Buium, Rossi and Ohgren have joined a youth movement.

In his first NHL season after the Wild drafted him 12th overall in 2024, Buium is playing on the Canucks’ top defensive pairing with five goals and 19 assists. Rossi, who has been limited by injury, is up to 30 points as the team’s No.2 center behind Elias Pettersson, while Ohgren is on Pettersson’s wing on the top line; he has eight goals and eight assists.

Key stat

Boldy and Kaprizov became the first duo in Wild history to net 40 goals apiece in the same season, and Boldy joined Kaprizov (four times), Eric Staal and Marian Gaborik as the only 40 goal scorers the team has had.

Up next

The Wild go back on the road for a back-to-back that begins Saturday, April 4, at Ottawa.