Minnesota Wild Clinch Playoffs with Fleury's 575th Win, Boldy's OT Goal; Face Vegas Next

The Minnesota Wild clinched a playoff spot by forcing overtime against the Anaheim Ducks with a late goal by Joel Eriksson Ek at 19:38 of the third period, securing their position as the first wild card in the Western Conference. They are set to face the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round of the playoffs. In a notable move, the Wild replaced their starting goaltender with Marc-Andre Fleury for the overtime period. This decision was made as the team had already secured their playoff berth, and it could be Fleury's final NHL appearance. Fleury, entering the game cold off the bench and immediately facing a power play, made five saves in overtime, including a significant early save, and was credited with his 575th regular-season victory, which also marked his NHL-record 71st overtime win. The Wild won the game 3-2 with Matt Boldy scoring the game-winning goal late in overtime.