Wild seem completely healthy headed into playoff series against Vegas

As familiar as the Wild have become with white-knuckle finishes — and they’ve had some doozies lately — the suspense in store for them had they flubbed their last opportunity to clinch a playoff spot would have taken the cake.

If the Wild didn’t at least get to overtime on Tuesday night, they would have had to wait until Calgary’s finale Thursday to learn if they advanced or were axed.

That’s what Joel Eriksson Ek’s last-minute goal avoided, the center’s second whack at the puck with 20 seconds remaining in the third period tying the game against Anaheim to give the Wild the point they needed to lock up the first wild card in the Western Conference.

They finished their 3-2 comeback in overtime at Xcel Energy Center in a feel-good send-off for Marc-Andre Fleury’s regular-season career, the goaltender taking over for the extra frame after Filip Gustavsson suggested the switch.

“Maybe it was fate to go to overtime and get Flower in net the way we did, too,” defenseman Jake Middleton said. “What an all-class move by Gus there, too. Very cool.”

Instead of limbo, the Wild are preparing for a first-round matchup against Vegas expected to start Sunday that looks lopsided at first glance after they were swept in the regular season, but the Wild are encouraged because the Golden Knights haven’t faced them the way they are now, and that’s healthy.

“To do it with a full lineup, that’s the most exciting part,” alternate captain Marcus Foligno said. “We’re all ready to go and feeling good going into the playoffs.”

Not just mentally but physically and for the first time in months.

The Wild had everyone available (plus top defensive prospect Zeev Buium) Tuesday. That hadn’t happened since Nov. 10, only 15 games into the season and after they’d already played without Eriksson Ek, fellow center Ryan Hartman and captain Jared Spurgeon for stretches.

All three of their meetings with Vegas came while they were shorthanded: Eriksson Ek, Gustavsson, Middleton and winger Yakov Trenin missed the 3-2 loss in St. Paul on Dec.15, while defenseman Jonas Brodin and veteran winger Mats Zuccarello were early in their returns from lengthy injuries.

Defenseman Brock Faber was hurt for the rematch in Vegas on Jan. 12, a 4-1 victory for the Golden Knights, along with Brodin, Spurgeon and star winger Kirill Kaprizov. Then the last clash March 25 at Xcel Energy Center lacked Kaprizov, Eriksson Ek, Foligno and defenseman Declan Chisholm, and the Wild faded 5-1.

“We’re confident,” Middleton said. “Especially this time of year. Anything can happen.”

Middleton also pointed out those three games were the second half of a back-to-back for the Wild.

Although the Wild will have to travel first in the series, which begins at T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip, they’ll actually get more rest leading up to Game 1 and after a hectic week since Vegas plays Wednesday.

Before their victory on Tuesday, the Wild outlasted San Jose 8-7 in overtime last Wednesday in Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek’s return from injury and then had another 3-2 OT thriller Saturday at Vancouver to stay in control of their destiny.

Still, the Golden Knights lead the Pacific Division and are third in the NHL for a reason.

They’re balanced, with an offense and defense among the sharpest in the league — including the second-ranked power play. Their best player, Jack Eichel, is a top-10 scorer, and only five goalies have averaged fewer goals-against per game than Vegas’ Adin Hill.

“Hey, they’re a great team,” Foligno said. “They’ve been consistent all year. We’re coming in, and it’s just gotta be a team that has no doubt really. We’re playing against a really good Vegas team, and we have nothing to lose.”

This Golden Knights’ core is also only two years removed from winning the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in only its sixth season of existence, a history that includes Vegas knocking out the Wild in the first round in 2021 after the Wild rallied from a 3-1 deficit.

“It was the same kind of matchup where they were highly touted, and we came in and pushed them to Game 7,” Foligno recalled.

Plenty has changed since then, namely the goalie that stymied the Wild in that series is now on their side.

“He was pretty special,” Foligno said of Fleury. “So, hopefully he’ll be our luck charm.”

So much is different just even in this season.

At one point, the Wild had Vegas’ address near the top of the NHL.

With their roster finally back to full capacity, they can present the Golden Knights with a new challenge — if they get back to who they were before the injuries took their toll.

“That’s the goal,” Fleury said. “That’s where we want to be. That’s where we believe we can be.”