Wild Clinch Playoff Berth with Overtime Win as Fleury Takes a Bow in Emotional Finale

The Minnesota Wild delivered one of the most dramatic finishes of the NHL regular season on Tuesday night, clinching a playoff spot and honoring one of the game’s greatest goaltenders in a single stroke. In a 3–2 overtime victory against the Anaheim Ducks at Xcel Energy Center, the Wild not only secured their place in the Stanley Cup Playoffs but gave veteran goalie Marc-André Fleury a fitting stage to shine—potentially for the last time in regular-season play. With just 22 seconds left in regulation, Joel Eriksson Ek buried a rebound goal to tie the game and guarantee the point Minnesota needed to clinch the first Western Conference wild card spot. That set the stage for head coach John Hynes to make a powerful gesture, substituting starter Filip Gustavsson with Fleury for overtime. And in a moment that felt both competitive and ceremonial, the 39-year-old stopped all five shots he faced, including two during a penalty kill, before Matt Boldy netted the game-winner with just under 18 seconds remaining in the extra frame.

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What made this night truly special was not just the playoff berth or the overtime winner, but the way the team rallied to honor Fleury. Drafted first overall in 2003, Fleury has built a Hall of Fame resume with three Stanley Cups, a Vezina Trophy, and now 575 career wins. He’s spent the twilight of his career with Minnesota, and while Gustavsson is expected to start the upcoming playoff series against Vegas—Fleury’s former team—it’s clear the organization and locker room hold immense reverence for him. Fleury’s return to the ice came just days after he started Minnesota’s final home game with his children beside him during warmups, a moment already thick with retirement speculation. If this was his final regular-season performance, it was a flawless and deeply human one—clutch, selfless, and full of grace. "Being back in the battle, on the bench, in the room — all the little parts of the game — it felt amazing,” Fleury said. “It was fun, just to go one more time out there and play the game I love.”

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The game itself played out like a microcosm of Minnesota’s season: gritty, uncertain, and ultimately, resilient. Marcus Johansson opened the scoring for the Wild in the first period with a confident wrist shot after cutting inside alone. Anaheim responded quickly through Alex Killorn, who beat Jake Middleton to the slot for a backhand goal. The Ducks then took a 2–1 lead midway through the third after a costly Minnesota turnover at center ice allowed Mason McTavish to set up Sam Colangelo for a clean finish. Yet in those final seconds, with their season hanging in the balance, the Wild pulled their goalie and surged—Eriksson Ek’s rebound goal off a scramble in front of Lukas Dostal tied the game and sent the home crowd into a frenzy. The celebration had just begun. After the horn sounded to end regulation, Fleury stepped onto the ice, the crowd rising in anticipation. He was ready, if only for one last time.

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With the win, the Wild (45-30-7) locked in their 14th postseason appearance in franchise history—and their 11th in the past 13 seasons, a consistency matched only by the likes of the Capitals and Lightning since 2013. More telling, however, was how they did it. Four of their final five wins came in overtime. Their resolve was forged in close games, and the blend of youth and veteran presence seems primed to test a Vegas Golden Knights team that enters the postseason as defending champions. Boldy, Eriksson Ek, and Gustavsson will likely lead the on-ice efforts, but the soul of the room may still rest with Fleury, who brings not only pedigree but an intangible quality every team hopes to bottle this time of year.

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The Wild’s journey now continues into the playoffs, but it’s worth pausing to consider how perfectly this night encapsulated what hockey does best—it builds drama slowly and then releases it all at once. A team on the cusp, a franchise legend perhaps stepping off the stage, and a fan base that got to witness a finale that felt more like a beginning. As the Wild prepare to take on Vegas, they do so not just with momentum, but with a sense of purpose and a reminder that sometimes the most meaningful wins are about more than just the standings.