Summarize and humanize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in EnglishST. PAUL, Minn. — At the risk of making it out like the sky is falling after every loss, we’re getting awfully close to the sky falling.The Minnesota Wild, once a league-best 18-4-4, fell to 22-23-1 in their past 46 Tuesday night by losing 5-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights 24 hours after getting shut out in Dallas.That once-comfortable playoff cushion is down to six points over the ninth-place Calgary Flames. And that large gap they had for the top wild-card spot? Well, it’s down to two points as the St. Louis Blues continue to take advantage of their cupcake schedule down the stretch by winning for a seventh consecutive time.Injuries have taken a toll on the overmatched Wild.Like most of their losses since the 4 Nations Face-Off without Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek and a revolving door of others, the Wild had plenty of chances to score, couldn’t and ultimately crumbled in defeat.The Wild, if they make the playoffs, could be staring the Winnipeg Jets in the face — the division rival against whom the Wild have lost eight consecutive times since March 8, 2023.“We know what we’re up against,” veteran Mats Zuccarello said during a candid postgame media scrum. “We gotta raise to that level. Everything can happen in the playoffs, but first we gotta worry about getting there first of all.”
HATS OFF TO JACK EICHEL! 🎩 pic.twitter.com/zH41vRlFbY
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 26, 2025Of course, if the Wild finish in the seven-hole, they’d likely face Vegas, the team that has beaten them 11 times in the past 13 meetings and all three times this season (with the Wild playing on the second of a back-to-back in each, by the way).“I think today, to be honest with you, we plain and simple lose to a better team,” Zuccarello said. “The way they make plays, always four, five guys in the rush, seems like they always have time. They’re playing, I would say, a supportive way where they always have the guy open. They always have guys coming with speed and today I don’t know, but when you play a little chuck and go game like we did, one guy and with speed forechecking three guys, it’s hard to play against good teams like that.“I mean, you gotta give them credit. They played good, solid hockey and a night like this, they win fair and square, to be honest.”The Wild have 10 games left. The good news is coach John Hynes says Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek are going to start skating imminently and Marcus Foligno, who has missed five consecutive games, has been skating to keep up his fitness. Declan Chisholm is also now sidelined with a lower-body injury, but at least Jonas Brodin played against Vegas after missing the Dallas game Monday night out of caution following his recent return from injury.As for Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek, getting on the ice for the first time doesn’t mean imminent returns, especially when Kaprizov has played three times since Dec. 23 and underwent surgery in late January and Eriksson Ek hasn’t played since Feb. 22. And who knows where they’ll be at when they return to the ice against teams in true playoff form going 500 mph.So until they get back, the Wild are going to have to figure out a way to not only muster points in the standings but discover the type of game you can actually win with in the playoffs.“It’s just gonna be a battle ’til the end, right? We expect it,” said goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who held a 2-1 deficit until Ryan Hartman’s penalty led to Jack Eichel’s second of three goals with 5:03 to go. “We’re missing some big guys, obviously, and a few millions under the cap. Guys are battling every night. They’re trying their best to stay in it, to find ways to get points and that’s why I love this group so much, the character they show every night.“It will be a battle though, that’s for sure.”
“Eichel shoots — he scores!”
“Vegas has a 1-0 lead!”
🎙 @Dan_DUva
Jack Eichel opens the scoring in Minnesota to give him three straight games with a goal. pic.twitter.com/0UA9UpQKyk
— Golden Knights Radio (@VGKRadioNetwork) March 26, 2025One thing the Wild can’t afford when they’re having so much trouble scoring is the play they got from their top line against Vegas. The Matt Boldy-Marco Rossi-Zuccarello line was broken up by Hynes after Brett Howden gave the Golden Knights a 2-0 lead 8:22 into the second period.At that juncture, the trio combined for zero shots and was responsible for both goals.Rossi lost the goal scorers on both goals and Zuccarello ole’d Noah Hanifin in the neutral zone to give him a free entry before he assisted on Howden’s goal.“Playing north,” Hynes said of what he wasn’t seeing from his top line. “Managing the puck, playing north. Getting in on the forecheck. Those type of things. There just wasn’t a lot going on.”
20 GOALS ON THE SEASON FOR BRETT HOWDEN 🤩🍞 pic.twitter.com/7yvRq0PfyV
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) March 26, 2025The lines Hynes came up with were interesting, to say the least. Marcus Johansson and Ryan Hartman skated with Zuccarello, Yakov Trenin and Freddy Gaudreau skated with Boldy and Gustav Nyquist and Vinnie Hinostroza skated with Rossi.Early in the third, Hartman pressured Mark Stone into a turnover to Zuccarello, who set up Johansson to cut Vegas’ lead in half. Rossi temporarily tied the score six minutes later when he deflected Brock Faber’s shot past Adin Hill, but referee Brian Pochmara correctly waved off the goal because Rossi scored with a high-stick.“You play a solid game defensively, but I think as of late, not scoring enough, maybe. I said it before, we gotta make plays,” Zuccarello said. “We gotta support each other. We gotta have guys come with speed. I don’t know. It’s hard. Today, you can mix and match (lines), (playing) back-to-back, but we play against a team that it’s really hard to play against when they play like that and we don’t play like us.”
Minnesota goal!
Scored by Marcus Johansson with 18:18 remaining in the 3rd period.
Assisted by Mats Zuccarello.
Minnesota: 1Vegas: 2#VGKvsMIN #mnwild #VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/MHe1GECeaQ
— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) March 26, 2025The Wild controlled play until Hartman was called for high-sticking and Eichel scored 13 seconds into Vegas’ one and only power play in the game. Tanner Pearson added an empty netter before Eichel completed the hat trick 31 seconds later as the Wild watched a 2-1 deficit become 5-1 in a 2 ½ minute span.“It’s hard because it’s not for lack of effort in this group,” Johansson said. “We’re trying every night, we’re working hard, we’re battling, and we do have chances to score more goals, but there are also things we need to do better. And at times it does feel like we were kind of a little bit too far apart and we got one or two guys forechecking, and they’re working their ass off, but the other guys are one step too late or whatever, and it makes it hard to get the puck back sometimes.“It made it a little too easy for them to break out and come back over us. When you play these teams that move the puck well and skate, and they have D that join the rush, it can get a little frustrating.”The Golden Knights, looking to win the Pacific Division, improved to 12-3-2 in their past 17. The Wild have won seven of 16 games since the 4 Nations and fell to 5-13-1 this season against the six teams above them in the West.The Blues? They’re 13-2-2 since the break, are averaging more than four goals per game and allowing just 2.18.The Wild will take Wednesday off before hosting the Washington Capitals on Thursday night. Alex Ovechkin needs six goals to pass Wayne Gretzky for the NHL’s all-time goals mark. He has scored 20 goals and 38 points in 24 career games against the Wild.So the Wild are getting into dire straits time despite the fact Hynes keeps voicing confidence in his team. But there’s no denying the injuries and no denying the fact the Wild are outgunned almost every time they take the ice. That’s just reality.“The puck’s not going in,” Johansson said. “It’s hard to play with that confidence, and it’s hard to have that in the group. It’s tough, but we got to keep fighting. There’s belief in this group. We know what we can do. There’s definitely no quit. We’re trying. We’re working as hard as we can. And we’re trying to score different ways. You can kind of tell guys are gripping the stick a little tighter. I mean, I have all year. It’s not gone in, but like I said, it’s not for lack of effort.”No, it’s not. We all see that. But we also see a tired team that just can’t score easily without Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek and with guys like Rossi and Boldy not producing for weeks.“We’re battling,” Zuccarello said. “The reality is what it is. We’re not going to give in. We’re going to battle hard. I think in the end, it’s one game. But I just think it’s better to be honest in what I feel when you’re out there and hopefully we can get a good day of rest (after getting) in late last night (from Dallas) — good day of rest and then we gotta get back at it.“We need points. It’s a crucial time. Everyone behind us is winning.”(Photo of Jack Eichel and Zach Bogosian: Matt Krohn / Imagn Images)
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