With the NHL regular season just around the corner, it’s time to highlight some of the big games Minnesota Wild fans should watch closely. Of course, there are the games against the division rivals like the Winnipeg Jets, St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, and the Dallas Stars. However, 82 games are on the NHL schedule, and the division makes up just a chunk of that.
The rest of those games are against East Coast, West Coast, and Canadian teams. Teams like the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Boston Bruins, who set a new NHL record for most points in a season, and the teams at the bottom of the pack can’t be forgotten either. The Arizona Coyotes were particularly troublesome for the Wild when they weren’t expected to be.
Arizona Coyotes: Jan. 13th, 2024
We’ll start with the Coyotes because they will be one of the most intriguing teams in the NHL this season. They’ve taken steps to improve their team over the offseason, bringing in players like Alexander Kerfoot, former Wild players Jason Zucker and Matt Dumba, and former University of Minnesota Golden Gopher Logan Cooley. The Coyotes seem to have a connection to Minnesota, as they also have Nick Bjugstad and former Wild prospect Jack McBain.
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Many may be wondering why I would choose the Coyotes as a big game to watch, but as stated before, they’ve been problematic for the Wild. What should’ve, in theory, been easy games weren’t, and they let the Coyotes walk all over them on their home ice in past seasons. Now that the Coyotes appear to be taking a step forward in their progress, they’ll be even tougher to get by if the Wild don’t take them seriously enough, and as we all know, every point counts in the playoff race.
It’ll also be fun for fans to see so many Minnesota connections, from Dumba to Bjugstad to even Cooley. Minnesotans are proud of their college players going pro, even if they’re not Minnesota natives. The game is also a good chunk into the season, so any jitters should be out of the lineup, and the Wild should be able to show what they’re capable of in the new year, specifically on Jan. 13, 2024.
Boston Bruins: Dec. 19 & 23, 2023
It’s safe to say the Boston Bruins will be on everyone’s must-watch list this season, even after their extremely disappointing finish in the postseason after dominating the regular season. It’ll be interesting to see if they can come close to replicating their 135 points, especially after losing franchise players Patrice Bergeron and David Krejčí to retirement.
In their first meetup last season, the Wild played a strong game but fell in overtime. However, that was in October, near the beginning of the season. Their second match-up went quite differently. It was in March, and the Bruins were in full-win mode, and they took down the Wild 5-3.
This season, the teams won’t have months in between games. The Wild will head to Boston on Dec. 19 on the second game of a back-to-back, and then just four days later, the Bruins will come to Minnesota to finish the season series on Dec. 23 right before Christmas. It’ll be interesting to see what direction these games go. While both teams have lost essential pieces, they’ve also kept their cores primarily intact. Hopefully, it’ll head in the Wild’s favor this time.
Dallas Stars: Nov. 12, 2023
Usually, I would’ve filled this spot with either the Colorado Avalanche or the Winnipeg Jets because the Wild have had well-known rivalries with both teams for years. However, the Dallas Stars are a curious case. For those who may be unaware or need a refresher, the Wild are not the first NHL team the state of Minnesota has had.
That honor belonged to the Minnesota North Stars in the state from 1967-1993. This is where Dallas comes in; the North Stars were relocated from Minnesota to Dallas, Texas. Moving a team causes some anger from fans, and Minnesota was no different. Even some fans today still harbor some of that anger whenever the Wild face the Stars. Partially because of the move and some from the Stars’ name being a daily reminder of what was.
However, that’s not why so many will want to watch the Wild face the Stars this season. It has the majority to do with the fact that the Stars knocked the Wild out of the playoffs last season with a dominating 4-2 series victory. The Wild will be looking to redeem themselves, and it’ll be interesting to see how the offseason has treated a team like the Stars.
Like the Wild, they kept most of their team intact and added Matt Duchene plus former Wild forward Sam Steel. They’re pretty evenly matched teams and split the series last season 2-2. It’s safe to assume the same can be said for this season; it’ll likely be filled with tight games, and fans won’t want to miss the action.
They’ll first meet up in the preseason for a couple of games, and then their regular season match-up will commence for the first time on Nov. 12 in Dallas. It’ll be the final game before the Wild head overseas for the Global Series in Sweden.
Vegas Golden Knights: Feb. 12, 2024
Of course, the final game on this list you can’t forget is against the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Golden Knights. Every team will be eager to see how they stack up against the defending champs. The Wild didn’t do so well when they faced the Golden Knights last season, as they went 0-2-1. While they’ll be looking to redeem that record, they’ll also be measuring themselves against a team that showed what a capable power play, penalty kill, and offense looks like.
The Wild will have to wait until the second half of the season before they see the Golden Knights for the first time. Their first meeting won’t be easy, as they’ll be on the road, and Vegas knows how to put on both a good show and an intense hockey game, especially at home. Thankfully, the Wild will have plenty of games under their belt by Feb. 12 to be ready to take down the Golden Knights.
The Golden Knights are on this list strictly because they were proven to be the best team last year, and as stated before, the Wild have to prove themselves against the best. Hopefully, they’ll be more successful this season and win some games in their series.
Wild’s Big Games
Again, every game is essential for points for the playoff race, but clearly, some are more valued than others. The first game on this list against the Coyotes doesn’t seem to be a big priority, but fans should watch because, once again, the Coyotes are an exciting team. Also, while it isn’t a huge news story if the Wild win, it’s a big story if they lose, depending on where the Coyotes sit.
Related: 3 Lessons the Wild Can Learn From 2023 Stanley Cup Champions
Any game against a division rival is essential, and the Stars have risen to the top of that list. Many fans still feel the hurt from last season’s disappointing finish and will be hoping the Wild can take the Stars down in both the regular season and postseason. The Bruins and Golden Knights games are strictly because the Bruins had the best regular season, and the Golden Knights had the best postseason. These are must-watch games for any fan of any team, but the Wild want to be competitive, and they have to find ways to beat these teams.
