Minnesota Wild's Rocky Road to the Playoffs

Just three months ago, the Minnesota Wild (18-4-4) sat atop the NHL standings as December's darlings. Fast forward to March's stretch run, and Dean Evason's squad clings to the final Western Conference wild card spot with 85 points through 72 games.

The Competition Is Closing In

• St. Louis Blues (83 pts, 73 GP): Winners of 7 of their last 10
• Vancouver Canucks (80 pts, 72 GP): Surging with a revamped power play
• Calgary Flames (79 pts, 70 GP): Two games in hand on Minnesota

"These next two weeks will define our season," said Wild captain Jared Spurgeon. "Every shift matters now."

Critical Remaining Matchups

Advanced metrics from Stathletes still give Minnesota a 91.4% playoff probability, but their -3 goal differential since January raises concerns.

Western Conference Playoff Outlook

Current projected first-round series:

• Vegas Golden Knights (P1) vs Minnesota Wild (WC1)
• Winnipeg Jets (C1) vs St. Louis Blues (WC2)

Key stat: The Wild are 2-5-3 against current playoff teams since the All-Star break.

The Stakes on Thursday Night

Tonight's home tilt against the league-leading Washington Capitals (7:30 ET on ESPN+) begins a brutal stretch:

1. Home-and-home vs New Jersey Devils
2. Road games at NY Rangers/NY Islanders
3. Final showdowns vs Calgary/Vancouver

"We control our destiny," said winger Mats Zuccarello after Tuesday's practice. "But we need to start winning these big games."

Will the State of Hockey see postseason action? With 10 games remaining, every shift carries playoff intensity.