Recent content from Sarah McLellan
Wild's slippage continues against Utah with third loss in a row
Minnesota hadn't even lost two straight until this homestand, when it went 1-4. Next up in a tough stretch is league-leading Winnipeg on Saturday.
Wild-Winnipeg game preview: A matchup from the NHL's peak
The Jets, though barely beyond .500 in their past 10 games, lead the league, and they've defeated Minnesota seven times in a row.
Wild defenseman Brock Faber OK after scary incident
Faber took a shot to the neck in Wednesday's loss to Florida, but said it now feels like he "has strep throat."
Wild lose second game in a row for the first time this season
Marc-Andre Fleury gave up six goals as as the injury-plagued Wild lost to the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers.
Banged-up Wild face Stanley Cup champions at … the perfect time?
The Florida Panthers forced the Wild to play their best game of the season in October, and present a late-night challenge on Wednesday.
Wild goalie of the future opens up about his 'all-time low' in the minors
Giving up 18 goals in his first four games had him "so lost in my own mind," said Jesper Wallstedt, who started for the Wild on Sunday.
Wild slip against a Golden Knights team with unlikely energy
Kirill Kaprizov's second consecutive two-goal game wasn't enough against Vegas, which overcame playing Saturday and then traveling.
Wild-Golden Knights game preview: TV-radio information, injury report, team updates
Vegas ended a four-game winning streak Saturday with a loss to the Oilers.
Wild keep their low moment short, roar to victory over Flyers
The worst loss of the season still stinging, Minnesota turned stern, with Marc-Andre Fleury standing out in goal and Kirill Kaprizov scoring twice.
The Wild posted the Stinker of the Year. Is this a turning point?
A 7-1 loss to Edmonton came with back-to-back home games just ahead and another injury in place, as the Wild placed defenseman Jake Middleton on IR and claimed veteran Travis Dermott off waivers.
Is Wild star Kirill Kaprizov the NHL MVP front-runner?
The Wild have been the surprise of the league as their high-scoring winger makes a shambles of team scoring records.
Wild tie it late, then defeat Utah Hockey Club in shootout
The Wild prevailed 5-4 on Tuesday night, moving back into first place in the NHL with a hard-fought victory in their first trip to Utah. Matt Boldy scored the winner in the shootout.
Wild look to continue knack for bouncing back when they face Utah Hockey Club
Wild look to continue knack for bouncing back when they face Utah Hockey Club
Trenin shows scoring touch Wild have awaited since he arrived via free agency
A winger best known for his defense, he ended a drought with goals in back-to-back games.
Wild's hot streak hits a snag with 4-1 loss to Kings
The Wild managed just three shots on goal in the second period and saw their season-long five-game winning streak come to an end. Kirill Kaprizov was held pointless for just the fifth time this season.
Boldy, Rossi and — who else? — Kaprizov keep Wild's hot streak alive with win over Ducks
The new-look top line of Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi had a field day in Anaheim, combining for nine points on Friday as the Wild won their fifth in a row.
Wild continue road trip, next facing Kings
Los Angeles has been idle since Wednesday, while the Wild play Friday night in Anaheim.
Wild-Ducks game preview: Key players, injury report, broadcast information
The Wild remain in a tussle with injuries after Joel Eriksson Ek got hurt Tuesday. Anaheim also has a prominent player injured, center Trevor Zegras.
Five Wild players chosen to skate in 4 Nations Face-Off
Brock Faber, Matt Boldy, Filip Gustavsson, Jonas Brodin and Joel Eriksson Ek are set for the February tournament.
Kirill Kaprizov scores in overtime to send NHL-best Wild past Canucks 3-2
The Wild extended their winning streak to four games, matching their season high.
New Wild defenseman Jiricek reports for duty in 'a hockey state'
After a middling start in the NHL with Columbus, David Jiricek — the 21-year-old former first-round pick — is getting a fresh look from the Wild.
Wild land atop the NHL, their success vastly different from last season despite a similar challenge
Injuries are in play again, but the improved reaction to them — and to any adversity — has the team on a run toward franchise records.
Wild cut down Predators quickly in OT, tie for NHL lead
Kirill Kaprizov dropped off a pass for Jared Spurgeon, and he ended the game a minute into the extra period.
Wild send 2025 first-round pick to Columbus for young defenseman
David Jiricek is a 21-year-old who was the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NHL draft.
Birthday boy Jared Spurgeon scores twice as Wild beat Blackhawks
On the day he turned 35, the Wild captain notched his first two goals of the season.
Wild-Predators game preview: Radio-TV information, key players, injury report
Nashville, coached by former Wild winger Andrew Brunette, has lost three in a row entering Saturday's game.
Wild-Blackhawks game preview: Broadcast information, key players, injury report
The Wild's Black Friday matinée is against Chicago, a team that doesn't win often, but when it does, it seems to be at the expense of some of the NHL's best teams.
Wild goalie zeroes in again, shutting out the Buffalo Sabres
Kirill Kaprizov scored the only goal Minnesota needed. Filip Gustavsson, aided by 31 blocked shots, posted his second shutout of the season.
The Wild's leader enjoys the success and identifies the challenge: 'We can't waver from this.'
The team has continued to play high-level hockey for long enough that it's no longer a surprise. President of Hockey Operations Bill Guerin sees the reasons for that and sees no reason for it to stop.
Wild's early success doesn't last in loss to Winnipeg
Another failure against a Central Division team is all the Wild have to show for the effort after they pounded first-period shots at the Jets.
Watch the sprint: Travis Boyd dashes through traffic to make Wild debut
A Calgary snowstorm left the former Gophers standout stuck on the road, so he improvised his entrance into the arena.
Wild clash with Jets in a battle of NHL's top two teams
For the Wild, four points behind the league-leading Jets, this will be their most anticipated matchup against a division rival since they lost 2-1 to the Stars on Nov. 16.
Wild-Jets game preview: Broadcast information, injury report, key players
Winnipeg dropped only its fourth game of the season on Saturday, falling 4-1 to Nashville. When the teams first met on Oct. 13, the Jets won 2-1 in overtime.
Wild encouraged by Yakov Trenin's play, even if he isn't scoring
Coach John Hynes called the free-agent acquisition "a reliable two-way player," but the offensive part of his game has yet to emerge with his new team.
Playing without Kaprizov, Wild rally for a point in 4-3 shootout loss at Calgary
The Wild scored two goals late in the third period to tie the score against the Flames, completing a 2-0-1 road trip even though Kirill Kaprizov didn't dress.
Victory over Oilers a Wild ride for veteran goalie Fleury
After letting 135-footer bounce in early, Fleury steadied himself in 5-3 victory.
Kirill Kaprizov gives Wild a scare but returns in victory over Oilers
The star forward came back from a brief injury absence, and two goals from Frederick Gaudreau helped Minnesota to another road victory.
Wild's reloaded top line comes with a coattail: A second line that meshes nicely
The group of Marcus Johansson, Marco Rossi and Ryan Hartman produced the first goal and the game-winner vs. the St. Louis Blues.
Wild return to the friendly road, roll past the Blues
Minnesota added to its NHL-leading success in away games, lifted by two third-period goals by Kirill Kaprizov and one by Jonas Brodin.
Joel Eriksson Ek and Jonas Brodin return to Wild lineup
A three-game road swing begins Tuesday night in St. Louis, then the team heads to Canada.
Amid the gloom of the Wild's loss to Dallas is a gleam
Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov issued a reminder of how well they work together, and they are two-thirds of a line that could be made whole soon by the return of Joel Eriksson Ek.
Absent key players, Wild fail Central Division test with loss to Dallas
Dallas beat Minnesota for the seventh straight time, spoiling the Wild's chance to show its success this season is valid.
For the Wild, the Central is central indeed
Saturday's game against Dallas presents an opportunity to indicate the team won't repeat the flop in division games that wrecked last season.
Wild winger Mats Zuccarello will be out 3-4 weeks after surgery
The veteran forward was injured when hit with a shot during Thursday's victory over Montreal.
Wild's victory over Montreal comes at a cost: Injuries to two key players
The Wild head toward a big game against Dallas with one of the NHL's best records but also with health concerns after Joel Eriksson Ek and Mats Zuccarello exited injured.
Wild have one of NHL's best records emerging from break
After four days off, Wild will play Canadiens on Thursday night at Xcel Energy Center.
Wild face Montreal team fresh out of slump
Montreal forward Caufield tied for NHL lead with 12 goals.
Wild's Boldy displays again his penchant for scoring important goals
The winger helped the team snag a point by scoring against Chicago when nobody else could. He's also had four game-winners this season, leading the NHL.
Wild fall to Blackhawks in OT but emerge thrilled to grab a point with an energetic finish
The effects of Minnesota's difficult schedule — five games in eight days — showed in their out-of-sync play. The energy returned after coach John Hynes tinkered with lines.
Wild have one of the NHL's best records thanks to road success
Kirill Kaprizov is the league's leading scorer, a major part of the equation that has the Wild 7-1-1 away from the X.
Wild-Blackhawks game preview: Broadcast information, injury report, key players
After wins in San Jose and Anaheim, the Wild is looking to sweep the three-game road trip.
Kaprizov lands atop NHL scoring list as the Wild defeat Anaheim
Three more points, on two goals and an assist, elevated Minnesota's star to the league's peak.
Kaprizov, stitched up and missing a tooth, piles up points in Wild victory over San Jose
Kirill Kaprizov had three assists after going two games without much offense and taking a cut to the face.
Wild-Ducks game preview: Broadcast information, injury report, key players
While the Wild tangled with San Jose on Thursday, Anaheim, on a three-game losing streak, rested.
Milne rewarded for strong start to season with first promotion to Wild
The 22-year-old did not make his NHL debut at San Jose, but the 2022 third-round pick has consistently produced when he's played at Iowa.
Wild's muted power play comes back to bite them this time
The Wild went 0-for-4 against Los Angeles and have failed to score in their past 14 power-play opportunities.
Wild calls up rookie forward Milne before game with Sharks
As the Wild head to the West Coast, they'll add rookie forward Michael Milne, who has yet to play in the NHL.
Former teammate Fiala, Kings cool Wild's hot start; Kaprizov struck in face by puck
Kevin Fiala scored the go-ahead goal late in the second period, and the momentum was all Kings for the rest of the game. Kirill Kaprizov was injured in the second period but returned for the third despite a fat lip.
Kaprizov, streaking Wild take on struggling Kings
The Wild are off to one of the best starts in franchise history, and Kirill Kaprizov is tied for the NHL scoring lead.
Different style, same result as Wild keep winning
Coach John Hynes credited his team's attention to detail after Sunday's 2-1 overtime victory over the Maple Leafs.
Wild keep rolling by sinking the Maple Leafs 2-1 in overtime
Matt Boldy broke away for the winning goal, proving that Minnesota can even win when Kirill Kaprizov doesn't get a point.
For the Wild, 'very imperfect' victories form a satisfying trend
Problems that might have led to a loss in the past are merely complications that the team is overcoming this season, as was true again Friday against Tampa Bay.
Wild-Maple Leafs game preview: Broadcast information, injury report, key players
Toronto swept the Wild last season, winning 7-4 at home and 4-3 in overtime when the two teams faced off in Stockholm.
Kaprizov's two late goals make certain the Wild overcome Tampa Bay
The Minnesota star scored a third-period goal that became the game-winner, and he put in another after that for comfort.
Once a slow starter, Wild's Kaprizov is on a scoring tear
Winger Kirill Kaprizov has been held without a point in only one game this season, and his current streak of six multipoint games is already a career high.
Wild prepares to face suddenly red-hot Lightning
Since losing 4-2 to the Wild last Thursday, Tampa Bay has won three in a row over Washington, Nashville and Colorado.
Wild's seven-game road trip was a roaring success
Five victories away from the X included Kirill Kaprizov tying for the NHL scoring lead and, of course, a goalie goal.
Wild beat Penguins 5-3 as Fleury gets sendoff from Pittsburgh
In his 100th game with the Wild, Marc-Andre Fleury, who will retire after the season, made 26 saves against the team with which he won three Stanley Cups.
Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has great memories, and is still quite a jokester
One of the NHL's all-time great netminders is on his retirement tour but is still a valuable weapon for what he hopes is a playoff team.
Wild-Penguins game preview: Broadcast information, injury report, key players
Pittsburgh has lost five games in a row as the Wild play the final game of a seven-game road trip.
Wild's win streak ends with 7-5 loss in Philadelphia
The Wild looked primed for a late comeback, but Flyers' Rasmus Ristolainen and an empty-net goal broke the tie.
Wild's hot start is one for record books
The Wild looks more settled in coach John Hynes' system, and they take a 5-0-2 record into Saturday's noon game at Philadelphia.
Wild look to continue hot streak with afternoon game vs. slow-starting Flyers
Philadelphia is as cold as the Wild are hot. The Flyers are 1-5-1 with four straight losses in regulation.
Wild rally to beat Lightning 4-2 for fourth consecutive victory
The Wild fell behind for the first time this season, but they still haven't lost in regulation, and their seven-game point streak is their longest to open a season since 2008.
Kaprizov to Zuccarello and not vice versa? It's working for the Wild in searing start.
Helped by that role reversal, Minnesota defeated defending NHL champ Florida and is testing the limits of history after playing 360 minutes this season without trailing.