The Wild Could Catch a Break From the NHL’s Weird Bracket

Minnesota has reasons to like how the NHL’s playoff setup can tilt the board in an unexpected summer run. The format does not always reward the best team on paper, and that is exactly why clubs built on structure and patience keep paying attention. The Wild sit in the kind of spot where one favorable bounce in the bracket can change the whole conversation around a season. In this league, a soft path is never guaranteed, but it is often the closest thing to oxygen in May.