Minnesota Wild right wing Danila Yurov (22) shoots the puck against Vancouver Canucks goaltender Nikita Tolopilo (60) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, April 2, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

By The Canadian Press

Wild wrap up a playoff spot with 5-2 victory over the Canucks

Apr 2, 2026 | 8:47 PM

ST. PAUL. Minn. (AP) — Matt Boldy scored his 39th and 40th goals, Kirill Kaprizov added his 40th and the Minnesota Wild wrapped up a playoff spot with a 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.

Third in the Western Conference and the NHL’s stacked Central Division, Minnesota secured the postseason spot in 75 games after getting in last season in the 82nd and final game before falling to Vegas in the first round.

Ryan Hartman scored twice in the third to reach 20 goals, and Filip Gustavsson made 29 saves to help the Wild rebound from a 6-3 loss at Boston on Saturday.

Former Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes had his 67th assist. He joined the Wild in a blockbuster trade in December that sent Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren and a first-round pick in 2026 to Vancouver.

Tom Willander and Jake DeBrusk scored for NHL-worst Vancouver, and Nikita Tolopilo stopped 32 shots. The Canucks were coming off an 8-6 victory at NHL-leading Colorado on Wednesday night.

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The loss guaranteed a 32nd-place finish for Vancouver, which will have the best odds of winning the NHL draft lottery.

Boldy tied it at 2 on a wrist shot at 23 seconds of the second period, and Kaprizov followed on a snap shot at 06:08 of the period. Hartmman scored on a tip at 6:03 of the third and had an empty-netter.

The Wild are six points behind Dallas and 12 back of Colorado.

Up next

Canucks: Host Utah on Saturday.

Wild: At Ottawa on Saturday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

The Associated Press