The Minnesota Wild took the lead in the Western Conference following their big win over the San Jose Sharks on Friday night.
The Wild beat the Sharks 4-1 at home in another dominant win in a season that has been full of them for a Wild team that now leads the West with 27 points.
Wild Dominating The NHL This Season
Per Wild PR, the team has now matched its highest point total through the first 18 games of the season, tying the 27 points the 2024-25 Wild had. The team also leads the Western Conference and is second only to the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Carolina Hurricanes, in total points this season, as Carolina has 28 to lead the entire league.
“The #mnwild (12-3-3) now leads the Western Conference and ranks second in the NHL with 27 points this season. It ties the highest point total through the first 18 games of a season in franchise history, matching the 2024-25 season (12-3-3, 27 points).”
It ties the highest point total through the first 18 games of a season in franchise history, matching the 2024-25 season (12-3-3, 27 points).
In addition, Minnesota is 5-0-1 at home at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, which has them joining the Tampa Bay Lightning as the only two teams in the NHL who haven’t lost a game in regulation at home all season.
“Minnesota moves to 5-0-1 at Grand Casino Arena. It joins Tampa Bay (8-0-0 at home) as the only NHL teams without a regulation loss at home this season.”
Wild Are Stanley Cup Contenders
The Wild joined the NHL as an expansion team in the 2000-01 season, but haven’t ever made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in the club’s history.
Could that change this year, though? There is a good chance it can.
This Wild team is stacked, with forward Kirill Kaprizov easily one of the NHL’s most talented and skilled players, and Quinn Hughes among the elite defensemen in the entire league.
But it’s not only the team’s superstars that are playing well; everyone on the team is buying into what Wild head coach John Hynes is selling, as this Minnesota team looks like it might make a legitimate title run this season and get to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history.
Wild Take Western Conference Lead After Big Win Against Sharks