Maybe December will be the tiebreaker month for the Minnesota Wild. 

The team got off to a rough start in October, starting with three losses in their first five games and ending the month on a 0-3-2 skid. They finished October 3-6-3. But a team meeting and improvements that started with a nearly unbeatable goaltending tandem in Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt helped turn things around, and the Wild wrapped up one of the best Novembers in franchise history, skating to a 11-1-2 record.

The Wild went on a seven-game winning streak, which included two overtime and two shootout wins, from mid-November until the day after Thanksgiving. Perhaps their most complete game and exciting win of the season was a 3-2 shootout victory over the NHL’s top team, the Colorado Avalanche, on Friday afternoon. 

Injuries were an issue from the start of the season, but one notable return? Winger Mats Zuccarello. The Wild are 9-0-2 with him in the lineup this season, and he fed his buddy Kirill Kaprizov for the first goal of Saturday’s game against Buffalo. That gave Zuccarello 700 career NHL points (218 goals, 482 assists), becoming the first Norwegian player to reach the mark. 

“It doesn’t really mean anything right now, but one day when I retire, I’d probably look back and it’s a cool achievement,” Zuccarello said. 

Zuccarello wasn’t too interested in the round-number stat after Saturday’s game, however, after a 3-2 shootout loss to Buffalo, the last-place team in the Atlantic Division. The Wild had 1-0 and 2-1 leads, but Buffalo tied the game twice on a pair of flukey goals, including a shot that bounced off the end glass and out in front of the goal. Zuccarello tried to bat down the puck and ended up putting it into the Wild net. 

“It was an unlucky goal when I put it in the net,” Zuccarello said. “It wasn’t our best today, and we got a point, and we’ve got to move on.” 

The game ended the Wild’s seven-game winning streak, though they’re still on an 11-game point streak going back to Nov. 7. The Wild earned 24 points in November with its 11-1-2 record, the most November points in franchise history. 

That run has put the Wild back into third place in the standings behind Colorado and Dallas. After such a tough start and a hole to dig out of, the Wild responded well and got itself back into contention. 

The success starts from the net out, with Gustavsson and Wallstedt. Gustavsson made 30 saves in Saturday’s loss to end his November with a 5-1-2 record, 2.06 goals-against average and .923 save percentage. 

Wallstedt has been the talk of hockey lately, sometimes for his signature celebration, and more oftentimes for his remarkable statistics. He’s 7-0-2 with a 1.93 GAA and .938 save percentage, the latter two marks leading the NHL before Saturday’s games. He also leads the NHL with three shutouts, all in the last five games. 

On the forward lines, Kaprizov is putting up numbers like hockey fans expect out of a superstar. He has a seven-game point streak (7-2—9), scoring both Wild goals against Colorado on Friday to reach 201 career NHL goals. Check off a highlight-reel-worthy goal from the list as he accepted a pass from Ryan Hartman behind the net. His ability to finish off plays when Zuccarello feeds him have been a welcome sight, too. 

Kaprizov leads the team with 17 goals and 14 assists. 

Winger Matt Boldy is also shining in shootouts and in general play. He scored the deciding shootout goal on Friday, scored another beauty with his quick hands against Buffalo in the shootout, plus he put the Wild up 2-1 with 5:55 to play in the first period against the Sabres after he picked the pocket of Alex Tuch along the sideboards and went right to the net for the goal. 

Boldy has 15 goals this season, with 10 of those since Nov. 6. His scoring marks rank him among the NHL’s top scorers. He’s second on the Wild in scoring, behind Kaprizov, with 15 goals and 14 assists this season. 

With Thanksgiving behind them, the holiday season in full swing and a new month of December in front of them, the Wild start a four-game, west-coast road trip Tuesday in Edmonton. They’ll also face Calgary, Vancouver and Seattle before returning to St. Paul to face Dallas on Dec. 11.

Keeping up a pace of winning nearly every game, like the Wild did in November, is unrealistic. But if the Wild could find results somewhere in between October and November, it should remain in a good position. 

“I think that you get lessons out of everything,” said Wild coach John Hynes, after Saturday’s game. “We got taught some lessons in October. I thought there were some things in this month that we did. 
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“It’s the understanding what your game is and putting that same game on the ice night in and night out to truly win regularly over the course of a season.”

​Thanksgiving is the time for consuming traditional side dishes (the stars of the show), spending the day with friends or relatives, watching Friends Thanksgiving episodes and, ultimately, being thankful for the blessings in your life. 

I've tried to get better at stepping back and practicing gratitude. Professionally, it's a good time to reflect on all the stories I've told over the past year. I wanted to go back through my list and pick out a few of my favorite stories from the past year while working for nine different outlets, mostly in sports. 

This work means a lot to me, especially in an industry that is ever-changing. Here's the list, with no ranking system or anything special. I went down my list of work, and these stuck out to me: 

Goalie Gets The Nod
Minnesota Hockey Magazine
This was a perfect example of how a story presents itself. I dug deeper to share the saga of what happened in a Frost game when one goaltender was ill, another got injured in warm-ups and there's really no emergency back-up goalie. A fun one to put together. 

Willard Ikola: Humble Giant
Minnesota Hockey Magazine 
A tribute piece to an absolute hockey legend in Eveleth, Edina and Minnesota. Enough said. I'm always grateful when those who knew the subject share their memories and stories with me. 

Class 2A: Potato Champs
Minnesota Hockey Magazine 
The story, in part, writes itself since it was Moorhead's first state hockey championship after eight runner-up finishes. I dug into my own archives from a few years back when I covered the tournament to find a quote from the Moorhead coach for my lede. It was one of those times I appreciated being on the hockey beat for a number of years now. Drawing on past memories like that doesn't always happen, but it's fun when it does.

Bump In The Night 
College Hockey News 
Speaking of that concept of drawing on past experience, covering the NCHC Frozen Faceoff presented a storyline with a familiar face in Minnesota hockey. Alex Bump made history with a five-goal performance in the state tournament three years ago. I covered that one, too. 

Hall-Of-Fame Handshakes 
Minnesota Hockey Magazine 
Alexander Ovechkin brought his Washington Capitals team back onto the ice after a loss so every single player could shake hands with Marc-Andre Fleury. A show of respect between a couple of rivals. Fun to be there and witness this spontaneous moment. 

Flowers For Fleury 
Minnesota Hockey Magazine 
Can't get enough Flower last season as he wrapped up his NHL career. After the Wild clinched a playoff spot with a point getting to overtime, goaltender Filip Gustavsson stepped aside for overtime to have Flower go in once more. What a cool moment. 

Back-To-Back Champs
Minnesota Hockey Magazine 
Covering a championship team in back-to-back seasons isn't something we're used to in Minnesota. Leave it to the women. So many similarities to the previous season, so many odds against them. And Minnesota won it all again. 

Schepers, ‘Blue’ Line Came Up Clutch As Frost Win Another Walter Cup
Hockey Wilderness/Zone Coverage
When the fourth line, or "blue" line, comes up big to help the Minnesota Frost win back-to-back championships. It was fun speaking with players at the championship celebration, especially chatting with Minnesota native Liz Schepers. 

Mounds View’s Soren Swenson wins Class 2A boys tennis singles title
Star Tribune
Another full-circle moment. I covered the tennis championship when Soren's older brother, Bjorn, won the singles title. They wore the same headband in each match. 

MLS playoffs: Sounders eliminated in Game 3 loss to Minnesota United
The Seattle Times 
I picked up a one-game gig as a soccer stringer for a Seattle newspaper. Little did I know it was apparently one of the most exciting games in the history of soccer. That's not much exaggerating. 

Athletes as Influencers: Name, Image, and Likeness
Children's book, published Dec. 15, 2025
In the midst of a very busy hockey season last winter, I took on another assignment - because why not? The publishing company I work with was looking for a writer for their new book series: The Business of Sports. This one was a bit of a challenge, which is sometimes a theme with these books, but it all worked out. NIL has created a huge shift in sports, especially college sports, in recent years. I'm proud of how book No. 13 turned out. 

And my latest venture...
Written Rule of Sports Substack
I launched this new site with the start of the PWHL and Minnesota Frost season. I'll be covering the Frost season, and I'd be grateful if you'll follow along with me by subscribing to the content.

As always, thanks for reading. Happy Thanksgiving! 

Some people flipped their calendars from Halloween to Christmas season going from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1. For the Minnesota Wild, the stretch they’ve been on in the first half of November might feel like the most wonderful time of the year so far. 

The Wild’s start to the season was rough, with only two regulation victories in October and finishing the month on a five-game losing streak (with a couple of overtime losses thrown in). After some trick-or-treating, the Wild returned to home ice for a 5-2 victory over Vancouver on Nov. 1. 

After that game, winger Vinnie Hinostroza brought up the fresh start to the month. It also came after a players’ meeting earlier that week. 

“We really talked about things,” Hinostroza said on Nov. 1. “We know how special this group is. Every piece of the puzzle is there. We just got to put it together. 

“Every team I’ve been on, and I’ve been on a lot, every team I’ve been on has gone through something like this. Whether it’s later in the season or the middle of the season. It just so happens to be right at the beginning when we have high expectations. 

“We’ve just got to keep getting better and keep playing Wild hockey.” 

Perhaps Hinostroza was foreshadowing what was to come for him and his teammates, at least through the first half of November. The Wild have rebounded with only one regulation loss in the last eight games. 

Symbolic or not, since the calendar turned to Nov. 1, the Wild are tied for first in the NHL with six wins and 13 points with its 6-1-1 record. Their latest victory came with a 3-2 overtime win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday at Grand Casino Arena on Hockey Fights Cancer Night. 

The Wild scored first for the ninth consecutive game, with a tic-tac-toe play from Marcus Johansson to Mats Zuccarello to Joel Eriksson Ek for the wide-open-net goal and a 1-0 lead in the first period. Yakov Trenin later scored his first goal of the season, hopping up into the glass behind the Vegas net in celebration. 

But the Wild’s penalty kill allowed two Vegas goals, helping to send the game to overtime. Each team took their turns possessing the puck. The Wild got a power play with under 30 seconds remaining in overtime, and Kirill Kaprizov sent everyone home with 9.7 seconds showing on the clock for his 11th career overtime winner, continuing his franchise record, and his team-leading 11th goal of the season. 

“It was 30 seconds, and we just try to shoot a couple times and maybe it go in,” Kaprizov said after Sunday’s game.

Goaltender Filip Gustavsson got the victory with 23 saves. He didn’t allow any five-on-five goals on the heels of young goaltender Jesper Wallstedt’s second consecutive shutout with Saturday’s win over Anaheim. Gustavsson said it’s a good goalie relationship, and he likes when Wallstedt performs well because he knows he needs to do the same. The Wild came into Sunday’s game allowing 1.71 goals per game since Nov. 1, the second-best mark in the NHL. 

From the goaltender on out, the Wild’s defense is playing better as of late. 

“I think the big thing is we feel like we have way better gaps right now,” Gustavsson said. “When they enter the zone, we’re right on top of them. We don’t give them as much space.” 

In what Wild coach John Hynes called a physical and hard-fought game, winger Marcus Foligno also got his second assist of the season on Trenin’s goal. He spoke with the media wearing the team’s Player of the Game hat. He said the team is turning the corner. 

“Honestly, I think we can be better,” Foligno said. “There’s some times where we show that October hockey kind of sneaks in again. We’ve got to get rid of it. 

“But yeah, this is a lot better from what we saw in the first 12 games.” 

Hynes spoke about the team trying to find its rhythm early on this season. Sometimes they found it for stretches, sometimes they didn’t, or got away from it. It’s about the Wild leaning on opponents and trying to be hard to play against, he said. 

“When you do that, you have to defend less,” Hynes said. “So, now if you’re defending, your details are better. Your commitment level is better.

“We’re not really a team that can just go out and play free-wheeling. We have a lot of talent. And we have the opportunity to lean on teams.” 

Throughout some early season struggles as a team, one of the most productive players for the Minnesota Wild was also one of the most veteran players on the roster. Winger Marcus Johansson entered Sunday ranked third on the team in goals and scoring with his six tallies and 14 points. 

He added his ninth assist of the season as a cherry on top to an already special evening against the visiting Calgary Flames: His 1,000th career game playing in the NHL. 

“It’s fun, obviously,” Johansson said after the game. “But what makes it better is winning. That’s always No. 1. And you can enjoy it a little bit more, and everyone’s happy and smiling. That’s the main thing. That’s what it’s all about.” 

Johansson helped the Wild break up a scoreless stalemate later in the second period when his feed from along the sideboards to Matt Boldy in the slot gave Minnesota a 1-0 lead. The night ended with a 2-0 Wild victory over the Flames after an empty-net goal by Kirill Kaprizov and a career-high 36-save shutout for young goaltender Jesper Wallstedt. 

Johansson was recognized for his milestone game at the first TV timeout on the videoboard and by the 17,090 announced crowd at Grand Casino Arena. He became the 20th Swedish player to reach 1,000 NHL games played, the 412th player overall and the 11th player to skate in such a milestone game while wearing a Wild sweater. 

He’s also playing consistently well this season. His assist Sunday extended his point streak to nine games. Per NHL Stats, he’s only the second player in NHL history to enter his 1,000th game with an active point streak of eight games or longer; Bobby Hull had a 16-game streak when he reached the milestone on Jan. 15, 1972. 

Four Wild players have now recorded a point while skating in game No. 1,000 of their career: Mikko Koivu on Dec. 1, 2019, Ryan Suter on Oct. 25, 2018, Matt Cullen on Jan. 10, 2012 and Johansson. 

This current Wild team is lucky to have Johansson, his linemate Boldy said postgame. 

“He’s such a talented player,” Boldy said. “There’s a reason he’s played so many games. 

“He’s so smart, such a good skater. … When he has the puck, that’s when stuff happens. Even being his linemate, you get him the puck and get open. That’s the game plan.” 

That seemed to work well on Boldy’s goal Sunday. Johansson said he saw they were going to have an odd-man advantage on the play, and he knew Boldy was going to be in the middle of the ice. 

Wild coach John Hynes talked about Johansson’s consistency and ability to create situations and play in all situations on the ice. 

“It was nice to see him and his two girls before the game read the lineup for him,” Hynes said. “So, special night for him. Great to see him just keep being reliable and consistent in his game and being an effective guy for us.” 

Johansson’s two daughters, ages 5 and 9, were in the Wild dressing room for the pregame lineup-card reading. They were part of a large cheering section in the house supporting Johansson for the game. His parents, brother and his children, plus many other friends were in attendance. Celebrating the milestone is special for Johansson. 

“It feels like a long time, but also it’s flown by at the same time,” Johansson said. “It’s kind of weird. But very grateful for it and fun to share with the guys in here.” 

Next up for the Wild is hosting the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night at Grand Casino Arena. But immediately on the agenda for Johansson once he headed home to a full house after Sunday’s victory? A cold one. And that doesn’t mean enjoying the weather. 
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“Go home and have a beer and enjoy it,” Johansson said. 

It’s been a rough homestand for the Minnesota Wild, right on the heels of a rough road trip. Coming into Saturday night, the Wild carried two regulation and two overtime losses into November. The Wild had only three wins on the season, with just one on home ice.

Whether it was the energy of a few fun-sized candy bars from Halloween, or even the fresh turn to a new calendar month, the Wild found a way to get a victory against an injury-depleted Vancouver Canucks team.

Here are five rules from the 5-2 Wild victory:

1. The Wild earned their first regulation win at Grand Casino Arena this season.

The Wild’s 5-0 shutout victory in St. Louis to open the season on Oct. 9 seems like a lifeline ago in some ways. Since then, there haven’t been a lot of things to cheer about for Wild fans, especially on home ice. The Wild defeated the Los Angeles Kings in a shootout back on Oct. 13; Saturday’s win over Vancouver was just the second time the Wild won at home this season. More importantly, it stopped the bleeding of a five-game winless streak.

The Wild are still in a tough spot with a 4-6-3 overall record near the Central Division basement.

“Obviously that stretch we went thorugh it’s tough, but this is a new month,” said Vinnie Hinostroza. “We’re 1-0 in this month, if we just stick to it, we can turn this whole thing around. But it’s going to take a lot of hard work and sticking to the plan.”

2. Vladimir Tarasenko scored his second goal of the season and recorded a season-high three points.

After the Wild’s red-hot power play cooled this season, going 0-for-4 on Thursday against Pittsburgh, the Wild took a 1-0 lead late in the first period on Vladimir Tarasenko’s second goal of the season. He made a backhand move in front of the crease to finish a bit of a broken play as Joel Eriksson Ek got him the bouncing puck.

Tarasenko added a pair of assists in the game for a season-high three-point night in his first season with the Wild. It’s his 39th career game with three-plus points.

He said postgame that the winning is nice, but he also talked about needing to feel poise.

“I feel like the games we lost before, some games we have very good moments and we're improving every game,” Tarasenko said. “And it's nice to get a win obviously, but it's important to take the momentum with us, get some rest and get ready for next game.”

3. The penalty kill was perfect.

The Wild’s been carrying around the burden of being the worst team in the NHL on the penalty kill. It was just 1-for-5 through the first four games of the homestand. But Saturday? The Wild went 3-for-3 on the PK. That stat right there is a sigh of relief for the team which has struggled in this category all season.

“I think the penalty kill gave us some life today, and that’s something that, you know, I’d say the last few games didn’t happen,” said Wild coach John Hynes. “So, it was good to see.

“The guys certainly deserve to win the game tonight.”

4. Marco Rossi gave the Wild the lead for good with his third goal of the season.

Vancouver’s Drew O’Connor scored both goals for the Canucks, the first pair of the season for O’Connor. He tied the game early in the second period off the rush after Zeev Buium skated around the Canucks zone but was unable to make a play happen at the other end of the ice, resulting in a turnover.

A 1-1 game in the second period could be cause for concern based on recent Wild play. The Wild was up 1-0 in its last game against the Penguins, until surrendering four unanswered goals for the 4-1 loss.

“Our puck bounces that last couple games wasn’t really on our side,” Rossi said. “And the puck bounces today was on our side, and I think that makes a huge difference.”

But this time, Rossi and the Wild responded. The top-line center buried a bouncing puck in front of the net with six minutes, 11 seconds left in the middle period for the 2-1 lead.

5. Five different players scored a goal for the Wild – and none of them were the top three goal scorers on the team.

Kirill Kaprizov was kept off the scoresheet. Matt Boldy failed to score goal for the fifth consecutive game, although he had an assist. Marcus Johansson also didn’t score. Kaprizov came into the game as the team’s leading scorer with seven goals and 16 points. Boldy and Johansson each have five goals.

But Saturday, the Wild got scoring from three lines and five different players: Tarasenko, Rossi, Hinostroza with his first of the season, Jonas Brodin and Ryan Hartman, who added an empty-netter from all the way at the other end of the rink.   

Brodin also had an assist, Eriksson Ek had a pair of helpers and Hinostroza recorded his third assist of the season. 

"I think that was a factor that we were able to play with the lead,” Hynes said. “I think that it was nice for us to be able to do that and then increase it at certain times. I thought some of the physicality in our game, you know, also brought us life."