Hockey fans in Minnesota might find themselves a little sleep-deprived for at least the next week. The Wild are in the postseason for the 14th time in franchise history, including 11 of the last 13 seasons.
Game 1 of Minnesota’s Western Conference First Round series vs. the Vegas Golden Knights is scheduled for a 9 p.m. start Sunday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Game 2 starts later, set for 10 p.m. start on Tuesday.
The series then shifts to Minnesota, but the late starts continue as they’ll drop the puck for Game 3 at 9 p.m. Thursday at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
Game 4 is a matinee at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Start times for any additional games are to be determined.
It’s the second time the teams have met in the playoffs. Vegas won 4-3 in a First Round series in 2021.
Series schedule
Here’s the schedule for the Western Conference First Round series between the Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights.
Game 1: Sunday, April 20 at Vegas, 9 p.m., ESPN
Game 2: Tuesday, April 22 at Vegas, 10 p.m., ESPN
Game 3: Thursday, April 24 at Minnesota, 9 p.m., TBS, truTV
Game 4: Saturday, April 26 at Minnesota, 3 p.m., TBS, truTV
Game 5: If necessary. Tuesday, April 29 at Vegas, TBD
Game 6: If necessary. Thursday, May 1 at Minnesota, TBD
Game 7: If necessary. Saturday, May 3 at Vegas, TBD
Regular season
The Golden Knights won all three regular-season meetings.
12-15-24: Vegas 3, at Minnesota 2
01-12-25: at Vegas 4, Minnesota 1
03-25-25: Vegas 5, at Minnesota 1
Possible record breaker
If Marc-Andre Fleury appears in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, he’ll set a record for most total playoff years among goaltenders. He currently shares the top spot with Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur.
Here is the list of goaltenders who have appeared in the playoffs at least 10 times. Listed are goalie, teams in parenthesis and playoff seasons.
Patrick Roy (Montreal, Colorado) 17
Marc-Andre Fleury (Pittsburgh, Vegas, Minnesota) 17
Martin Brodeur (New Jersey) 17
Jacques Plante (Montreal, St. Louis, Toronto, Boston) 16
Andy Moog (Edmonton, Boston, Dallas, Montreal) 16
Grant Fuhr (Edmonton, Buffalo, St. Louis) 14
Mike Vernon (Calgary, Detroit, San Jose, Florida) 14
Curtis Joseph (St. Louis, Edmonton, Toronto, Detroit, Calgary) 14
Billy Smith (New York Islanders) 13
Chris Osgood (Detroit, New York Islanders, St. Louis) 13
Tom Barrasso (Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Ottawa) 13
Dominik Hasak (Chicago, Buffalo, Detroit) 13
Ed Belfour (Chicago, Dallas, Toronto) 13
John Vanbiesbrouck (New York Rangers, Florida, Philadelphia, New Jersey) 13
Dan Bouchard (Atlanta Flames, Quebec, Winnipeg) 12
Rejean Lemelin (Atlanta Flames, Calgary, Boston) 12
Don Beaupre (Minnesota North Stars, Washington, Toronto) 12
Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers) 12
Sergei Bobrovsky (Philadelphia, Columbus, Florida) 11
Johnny Brower (Toronto) 10
Gerry Cheevers (Boston) 10
Kelly Hrudey (New York Islanders, Los Angeles, San Jose) 10
Evgeni Nabokov (San Jose, New York Islanders) 10
Series notes
LW Kirill Kaprizov has 10 points (10-2 = 12) in 19 career playoff games, including a franchise-record seven goals (7-1 = 8) vs. St. Louis in the first round in 2022.
D Jared Spuregon (8-21 – 29) in 67 games is the franchise’s leader in playoff goals, assists and points among defensemen.
The Wild made a franchise record six consecutive playoff appearances from 2013-18, joining Anaheim and Pittsburgh as the only teams to make the playoffs in each of those seasons.
Vegas has qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for three consecutive seasons including the organization’s first Stanley Cup title in 2023 when the Golden Knights defeat the Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers to win the championship.
Fleury was 117-67-14 with a 2.41 GAA and a .917 sv% and 23 shutouts in 192 games with Vegas from 2017-21.
D Jon Merrill had 25 points (6-19 = 25) in 140 games with Vegas in parts of three seasons (2017-20) with the Golden Knights,
Vegas assistant coach Joel Ward made his NHL debut with Minnesota and appeared in 11 games in 2006-07.
The Golden Knights have reached the postseason for the seventh time in their first eight seasons.
Minnesota ranks fourth in the NHL in wins (13) and fifth in points (30) all-time vs. Vegas.
Minnesota Wild playoff history
2001
Missed playoffs
2002
Missed playoffs
2003
Western Conference First Round: Defeated Colorado Avalanche 4-3
Western Conference Semifinals: Defeated Vancouver Canucks 4-3
Western Conference Finals: Lost to Mighty Ducks 4-0
2004
Missed playoffs
2005
Season canceled
2006
Western Conference First Round: Lost to Anaheim Ducks 4-1
2007
Western Conference First Round: Lost to Anaheim Ducks 4-1
2008
Western Conference First Round: Lost to Colorado Avalanche 4-2
2009
Missed playoffs
2010
Missed playoffs
2011
Missed playoffs
2012
Missed playoffs
2013
Western Conference First Round: Lost to Chicago Blackhawks 4-1
2014
Western Conference First Round: Defeated Colorado Avalanche 4-3
Western Conference Semifinals: Lost to Chicago Blackhawks 4-2
2015
Western Conference First Round: Defeated St. Louis Blues 4-2
Western Conference Semifinals: Lost to Chicago Blackhawks 4-0
2016
Western Conference First Round: Lost to Dallas Stars 4-2
2017
Western Conference First Round: Lost to St. Louis Blues 4-1
2018
Western Conference First Round: Lost to Winnipeg Jets 4-1
2019
Missed playoffs
2020
Qualifying Round: Lost to Vancouver Canucks 3-1
2021
Western Conference First Round: Lost to Vegas Golden Knights 4-3
2022
Western Conference First Round: Lost to St. Louis Blues 4-2
2023
Western Conference First Round: Lost to Dallas Stars 4-2