Ilya Bryzgalov

Nino Niederreiter hesitated for just a moment after scoring the winning goal, not sure whether what he just saw had actually occurred. It happened, all right. His Minnesota teammates suddenly skating over to mob him made the moment real.

Teenager Nathan MacKinnon is growing up fast. Almost as fast as he skates. The speedy 18-year-old delivered another stellar performance for the Colorado Avalanche, scoring his first NHL postseason goal and dishing out three assists in a 4-2 win over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night.

Paul Stastny scored 7:27 into overtime after tying the game with 13.4 seconds remaining in regulation, lifting the Colorado Avalanche to a 5-4 win over the Minnesota Wild in the opener of the Western Conference quarterfinals on Thursday night.

Craig Smith had two goals and two assists for Nashville, and the Predators finished the season strong with a 7-3 win over the playoff-bound Minnesota Wild on Sunday night.

The Minnesota Wild found out during the second intermission their spot in the playoffs was secure. Satisfaction came only after they won their way in with a strong finish.

Ilya Bryzgalov didn't have much to say Monday night. He let the Winnipeg Jets fans do all the talking. Bryzgalov made 24 saves and Charlie Coyle scored in the second period as the Minnesota Wild defeated the Jets 1-0.

On a night when two of the biggest stars in the NHL were on the ice, Minnesota's fourth line stepped up to help the Wild continue their surge toward the playoffs.

Marian Hossa scored the lone goal in the shootout, and the banged-up Chicago Blackhawks stopped a three-game slide with a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night.

Matt Moulson and Mikko Koivu scored 62 seconds apart in the third period, and Zach Parise connected on a power play for the Minnesota Wild, who rallied for a 3-2 victory Monday night that snapped the Los Angeles Kings' six-game winning streak.

The Minnesota Wild were reeling. The Phoenix Coyotes were rolling. Then the teams met Saturday night and everything turned around.