Wild make 5th straight Stanley Cup playoffs

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) - The Minnesota Wild earned their fifth straight trip to the Stanley Cup playoffs, despite losing against Vancouver and Detroit this weekend.

The Wild clinched their berth thanks to the Los Angeles Kings’ 3-0 loss to the New York Rangers.

Fans aren’t celebrating yet, however. The Wild have been in a slide throughout the month of March, winning only three of their last 14 games.

A big concern for Wild fans has been the goaltending. Darcy Kuemper didn't provide a lift on Saturday against Vancouver, giving up four goals to one of the lowest scoring teams in the league and Devan Dubnyk has seen his numbers plummet after being a contender for the Vezina Trophy throughout the first four months of the season.

The Wild still sit in second place behind the Chicago Blackhawks in the Central Division and remain No. 2 overall in the Western Conference.

Next up, the Wild face the Washington Capitals on Tuesday at the Xcel Energy Center at 7:00 p.m.

The schedule for Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs is expected to be announced on Sunday, April 9.