Wild clinch spot in NHL playoffs with another chance to advance for 1st time since 2015

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Wild have clinched a spot in the NHL playoffs, giving them another chance to advance in the postseason for the first time since 2015.

The Wild earned a bid 75 games in after clinching last year in the 82nd and final game of the regular season. They beat league-worst Vancouver 5-2 on Thursday night to get in.

“We knew all we had to do was win a game and we're there,” winger Ryan Hartman said. “Happy with the result tonight.”

Minnesota was eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round last year, ending coach John Hynes’ debut season.

The Wild failed to advance in seven postseason appearances between 2016 and 2023. Their deepest run in the playoffs was a trip to the conference finals in 2003 in the franchise’s third year of existence.

The Minnesota North Stars lost in the 1981 and 1991 Stanley Cup Final. They relocated to Dallas in 1993, becoming the Stars, and hoisted the Cup in 1999.

The Wild proved their commitment to contending this season by signing Kirill Kaprizov to an eight-year, $136 million contract extension — the richest deal in league history. The star winger has a team-high 83 points and now has Minnesota back in the postseason again.

“We make playoffs, it’s nice," Kaprizov said. “It's the best time of the year.”

Goaltender Filip Gustavsson has won twice as many games as he’s lost while giving up a little more than 2 1/2 goals per game.

“He's such a talented kid, but now you're starting to see the talent come into, I think, a mindset and a little bit of a swagger that you need to have as the main guy, and he's done a good job of that,” Hynes said. “I think the guys play hard in front of him, and he's done a good job too, I think, of earning the trust and respect of the group.”

Minnesota has the league’s longest active streak of consecutive winning seasons at 14.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL