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Alex Stalock seized the starting goalie job for the Wild this season. Whether he has that role in 2020-21 is among the team's offseason questions.

Quick postseason exit leaves Wild with pressing questions

GM Bill Guerin saw how his team performed under playoff pressure. How he addresses a few issues will determine if he's building a Wild squad that can contend for the Stanley Cup.

Wild

Can the Wild find the spark it needs to avoid early knockout?

August 7

You have to wonder if the Canucks took Minnesota's best punch in Game 1 and discovered the easiest way to frustrate the Wild is to repeatedly send it on the power play.

Vancouver's Bo Horvat, center, pestered Wild goalie Alex Stalock while battling defenseman Brad Hunt during Tuesday night's Game 2 of the Western Conf

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March to penalty box haunts Wild in Game 2 loss to Canucks

August 5

Minnesota couldn't find its offensive rhythm Tuesday night, and much of that was because its penalty killers were on the ice too often.

The Wild's Jordan Greenway and Vancouver's Jay Beagle mixed it up during a first-period skirmish in Game 1 Sunday night.

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Discipline and smart swagger serve Wild well in series opener

August 3

By defeating the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night, coach Dean Evason's team ended a long streak of Game 1 struggles and did so by playing a tough, intense and intelligent game.

St. Thomas athletic director Phil Esten.

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St. Thomas hockey, CCHA begin working toward 2021-22 start

July 31

Now that the Tommies have found a conference home for their men's hockey team, the heavy lifting begins for their debut as a Division I program.

The Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek, left, and Vancouver's Tyler Toffoli will renew acquaintances beginning Sunday night in the qualifying series.

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Playoff hockey is arriving. Time to embrace it, warts and all

July 31

An August postseason is far from normal for the NHL, but the simple fact that hockey has returned is something to savor. And we'll know soon enough if the Wild is in it for the long haul.

Coach Jeff Boeser and his Tommies men’s hockey team have been a Division III power.

College sports

St. Thomas men's hockey team to join CCHA in 2021-22

July 30

The Tommies will join MSU Mankato, Bemidji State and others in the newly formed conference.

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Whitecaps update: NWHL pushes start of next season to January

July 29

The women's hockey league was scheduled to begin play in mid-November, but the coronavirus pandemic prompted a new, 20-game schedule, which will end with the playoffs in March.

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New opportunities, challenges for St. Thomas hockey in Division I

July 24

As the men's and women's programs make the transition to the highest level of college hockey, coaches Jeff Boeser and Tom Palkowski face an exciting new reality.

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