Wild Believe They Can Flip Script, Eriksson Ek or Not

The Minnesota Wild insist they have the pieces to claw back in this series, even if Joel Eriksson Ek's status remains up in the air after that brutal hit. Coach Dean Evason's crew has been battle-tested in these spots before, drawing on the same grit that carried them deep in past playoffs. With the series knotted tight, their confidence signals a front office that's not waving the white flag yet, and the hockey world watches to see if locker room bravado turns into on-ice results.