Think back to 2022-23 when the Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup. They got progressively better as the playoffs continued. By the time they got to the Western Conference Final they were unstoppable. Somehow they were even better in a five-game dismantling of the Florida Panthers to win the Cup.

After a one-year hiatus, the Wild are back in the NHL playoffs, securing a Western Conference wild-card spot in the final 22 seconds of regulation in the final game of the regular season. Minnesota’s journey from the top of the NHL standings in early December to scrambling to reach the tournament can be traced to a rash of injuries to their best players.