The Minnesota Wild occupy the first wild card spot in the Western Conference, setting them up for a matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights. Vegas has been declared the clear favorite for the first-round battle.

The Vegas Golden Knights will play the Minnesota Wild in the Western Conference First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

After a one-year hiatus, the Wild are back in the NHL playoffs, securing a Western Conference wild-card spot in the final 22 seconds of regulation in the final game of the regular season. Minnesota’s journey from the top of the NHL standings in early December to scrambling to reach the tournament can be traced to a rash of injuries to their best players.