Utah Pushes for Playoffs as Injury-Riddled Wild Visit

Utah Aims for Playoff Push as Wild Battle Injuries

The Utah Hockey Club is heating up at just the right time, securing two consecutive wins and keeping their postseason hopes alive. Now, they’re looking to extend their streak to three when they host the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night.

With both teams at a pivotal point in the season—Utah fighting to climb into the wild-card race and Minnesota dealing with a slew of injuries—the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Utah’s Momentum: A Season-Defining Stretch

Utah has shown resilience in recent games, coming from behind in back-to-back 2-1 victories against the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks.

Tuesday vs. Chicago: Lawson Crouse delivered the game-winner with 7:48 left in the third period.
Sunday vs. Vancouver: Dylan Guenther buried a power-play goal late in the third to secure the win.

Both wins followed a similar pattern—Utah fell behind early, stayed composed, and found a way to grind out a comeback.

Head coach Andre Tourigny has praised his team’s fight:

“They want it. There’s a real competitive spirit in the locker room. Nobody cares who scores—it’s about winning together.”

With 61 points, Utah is just three points behind Calgary for the final Western Conference wild-card spot. However, time is running out—Calgary and Vancouver each have two more games remaining than Utah, meaning the margin for error is razor-thin.

Clayton Keller: Utah’s Offensive Catalyst

Utah’s success is largely tied to Clayton Keller, who has been red-hot with a five-game point streak.

Season Stats: 21 goals, 43 assists, 64 points
Recent Performances: Assisted on both goals in the Canucks win, tied the game against Chicago in the second period

Keller has been the offensive motor, consistently stepping up when Utah needs a spark. If they want to keep winning, he’ll need to stay in top form.

Goaltending Edge: Karel Vejmelka Stands Tall

Utah’s defense has been a major factor in their recent success, and Karel Vejmelka has been a wall in net.

36 saves over the last two games
2-0-0 record during the streak

With his steady presence, Utah has been able to keep games close and pull off clutch wins in the final minutes.

Minnesota Wild: Surviving Without Kaprizov

The Wild have had a rollercoaster season, with injuries threatening to derail their playoff hopes.

The biggest loss? Kirill Kaprizov, the team’s leading scorer, who has played only three games since Christmas due to a lower-body injury. Despite missing significant time, he still leads the Wild in:

Goals: 23
Points: 52

Without him, Minnesota has relied on Matt Boldy (51 points) and Marco Rossi (50 points) to carry the offensive load.

More Injury Setbacks

As if losing Kaprizov wasn’t enough, Minnesota took another hit when Joel Eriksson Ek suffered a lower-body injury during Monday’s practice. With nine goals and 15 assists in 42 games, his absence adds another challenge for the Wild.

Despite the adversity, head coach John Hynes remains confident

The Playoff Picture: What’s at Stake?

For Utah, this game is a must-win to stay in the playoff hunt. The team has limited chances left to catch Calgary, and every point matters.

For Minnesota, it’s about holding their ground in the Central Division standings while waiting for key players to return.

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Final Thoughts: Can Utah Stay Hot?

Utah has momentum, home-ice advantage, and a playoff berth within reach. But the Wild, even with injuries, are a dangerous team.

Can Utah extend their winning streak and take another step toward the postseason? Or will Minnesota grind out a win despite their depleted lineup?

Puck drops Thursday night in Salt Lake City.

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