Can the Wild Trust Boldy To Stay Hot In the Playoffs?

Less than a week remains in the regular season, and the pressure has never been higher for the Minnesota Wild. They have lost 6 of the last 8 and still have not secured a playoff berth, so the race is on. However, despite the rough stretch of games, the Wild got a statement win against the Dallas Stars, keeping the Calgary Flames out of the second Wild Card spot in the West.

The win over Dallas was a solid team effort, but Matt Boldy stood out all night. While Wild failed to find the back of the net until the third period, their strong play kept the game within reach long enough for Boldy to tie it 1-1. 

Boldy’s goal was the mark of a scorer who is heating up. When Boldy gets hot, the puck just seems to go into the net. Boldy immediately got to work, picked up an assist less than two minutes later on a goal from Marcus Foligno, and took the lead over the Stars.

Though it wasn’t enough, Thomas Harley tipped a goal off Zach Bogosian’s ankle that tied the game at 2-2 and pushed it to overtime. After a tight game in which Boldy had already found two points, it only seemed fitting that he drew a penalty on Jason Robertson 13 seconds into overtime. The power play opportunity led Boldy to spearhead a play where he passed to Mats Zuccarello, who connected with Marco Rossi for an easy tip for the win.

Boldy’s goal and three points helped get two points in a must-win against Dallas, allowing the Wild to maintain a five-point lead over the Calgary Flames. But beating the Stars was also the Wild’s last chance to prove they deserve a playoff spot. Their remaining games are all against teams outside of a Wild Card spot, including Vancouver and Calgary, who are still fighting for Minnesota’s spot. 

Boldy’s scoring is a good sign. Throughout four years in the NHL, Boldy has picked up a reputation as a promising but streaky player, and this season has been much the same. Boldy has had two nine-game and an 11-game goalless streak this season, coinciding with some of the worst stretches for the Wild. However, Boldy has started to turn that around once again and has scored five goals and 12 points in the last 11 games.

Still, can the Wild trust Boldy to stay hot in the playoffs?

It’s hard to say what will happen if the Wild manage to stay in a Wild Card spot, but I’d like to think that Boldy will continue being a star player. However, it isn’t as simple as that. There is always a reason for a player's success or failure. As fans, we can only speculate on the reasoning for a player's streakiness. However, in Boldy’s case, a few factors might help him keep going. 

The second line

Minnesota’s second-line success has lifted the pressure off the first line. Marcus Johansson has also been stepping up recently, scoring two goals and six points in seven games. 

It’s also a result of strong play from Frederick Gaudreau, who has scored 35 points this year in a strong comeback season. However, much of the recent scoring has also been going through Zuccarello, who is on a three-game point streak and has scored two goals and six points in nine games.

While John Hynes has been switching the line combinations nightly, Zuccarello, Gaudreau, and Johansson have been impressive alone and together. Better yet, they can help keep games close and slot in well with the first-line players, giving Boldy and the Wild the chance to steal games like the one against Dallas.

The success is also a good sign, as we finally have good news about Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek. Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek will return Wednesday night against the San Jose Sharks, and John Hynes must find the right line combinations again. We will likely see Boldy get more ice time with the second line, who is heating up simultaneously. If Kaprizov can immediately make a difference, then Boldy can focus on scoring instead of carrying the team. 

There are many reasons to be optimistic about the Wild’s future, especially if the team can stay healthy. However, one of the biggest reasons is that Boldy is as good as he looks now. While it may take another season or so for him to find the consistency he would like, a good post-season could be what he needs for a confidence booster. 

If Boldy can stay hot, there is a good chance he’ll make an impact, no matter who the Wild play in the first round.