Kaapo Kahkonen continues strong rookie season, backstops Wild in playoff-clinching win

SAN JOSE, Calif. – As the Wild's No.1 goaltender, Cam Talbot has had a prominent role in the team's seven-game win streak and overall success in recent weeks.

But it was fitting that backup Kaapo Kahkonen was in net Saturday night at SAP Center when the Wild clinched a playoff berth for the eighth time over the past nine seasons with a 6-3 victory over the Sharks – Kahkonen's franchise-leading 14th win by a rookie goalie.

"It was cool," Kahkonen said. "We won the game. I didn't even know if we could clinch. Just went out and tried to stop the puck."

Kahkonen is 14-7 this season, meaning the Wild has secured 28 points when he's been between the pipes. That's more than 40 percent of the team's total points, and a chuck of that came during an impressive 9-0 run from mid-February into March.

Some of that workload came when Talbot was unavailable, sidelined as part of the COVID-19 outbreak that affected more than half the roster. But even when Talbot returned, Kahkonen continued to merit starts and deliver results.

And since a three-game slide that included the most lopsided loss in team history when he was tagged for nine goals April 9 at St. Louis, Kahkonen has won his last two starts.

"I saw flashes of it last year, and we're so happy to have him this year and I think that he's going to become an unbelievable goaltender in this league and for our team," winger Marcus Foligno said. "So, we're happy to have him."

The Wild gathered in front of Kahkonen's crease when the game finished and the team had officially sealed a playoff spot. But the celebration looked very business-like, a reminder that this is just one box checked in a process for the team that isn't over yet.

"Your ultimate goal is clearly to win the Stanley Cup," coach Dean Evason said. "That's why we're all here. But there's steps along the way. It's a good step going forward."

The team remains in third place in the West Division, a position it's held for quite some time, but relocation isn't out of the question; not only is the Wild just one point back of No.2 Colorado, but it's also just three shy of No.1 Vegas. Those teams have also clinched, and the West Division boasts the only three squads that have secured their postseason invites.

"There's not one of us that doesn't believe we can be No.1 in our division," Foligno said. "It's still within reach."

The Wild's next game is Wednesday, the start of a seven-game homestand before the team finishes up with a pair of games on the road at St. Louis. And although the team is playoff-bound, the team is sticking with the same approach these remaining games.

"We'll get ready for the next game, and we'll play hard, and we'll see where we sit," Evason said, "and then we'll go again. That's been our mentality from Game 1, and it won't change now."