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Last night, the Minnesota Wild moved ever closer to securing the Central Division crown, defeating rival Colorado Avalanche 4-2 in Denver. The victory helped the Wild create a small gap between them and the rest of the division, however, it is far from over. The Wild currently sit in first place in the Central Division with 97 points, behind them sit the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche with 94 points each.
"The #mnwild earns a 4-2 road victory over the Avalanche to move to 44-22-9 (97 points), extending its lead in the Central Division standings. Johansson, Steel and Gaudreau (2x) were the goal scorers. Goaltender Filip Gustavsson saved 42 of 44 shots faced for Minnesota." - Minnesota Wild PR
The Wild have been one of the hottest teams in the NHL, winning 16 of their past 21 games. And while fans across the league would have expected the team to have tanked following the injury to superstar Kirill Kaprizov, they have maintained their winning ways.
Since Kaprizov's injury on March 8, Minnesota have gone 8-1-2 without its superstar. While this is no indication that the team is better without him, it showcases the depth and talent of the Wild's roster.
"His second @Enterprise hat trick in five games. Matt Boldy is RED HOT." - NHL
One of the talents that have stood out for Minnesota during Kaprizov's injury has been Matt Boldy. The 21-year-old forward has been a revelation for the Wild, scoring 11 goals and recording four assists in his absence.
If the Minnesota Wild can keep up this pace once Kaprizov is ready, they will be legitimate contenders to win their first Stanley Cup title in franchise history.
A look at Kirill Kaprizov's potential return to the Minnesota Wild's lineup
It appears that the Minnesota Wild will be without their superstar Kirill Kaprizov for the foreseeable future. The 25-year-old from Novokuznetsk, Russia, has been out of action since March 8, after suffering a lower-body injury against the Winnipeg Jets.
The talented forward limped off the ice during the matchup with the Jets and has not yet resumed skating, but is expected to return to the ice for the first time this week. As of today, there is no update revolving around Kaprizov's injury, however, with the team staying hot without him, they will likely not rush him back into the mix.
"UPDATE: #mnwild star Kirill Kaprizov will start skating again later this week." - SKOR North
The talented forward has posted 39 goals and 35 assists in 65 games this season.
