The Minnesota Wilderness are making sure as many games as possible in the 2024-25 regular season count. The final two contests on the docket bring the Springfield Jr. Blues to Cloquet and a chance to keep playoff hopes alive.
The Wilderness are vying to overtake the Chippewa Steel for the Midwest Division’s final playoff spot. The division’s top four squads qualify for the post-season and Chippewa holds 4 th place with 63 points. The Wilderness sit three points behind in 5 th place with 60 points. To make the playoffs, Minnesota needs two wins this weekend and Chippewa to drop both of its games in Anchorage, AK, against the Anchorage Wolverines. The Wilderness would hold the tiebreaker over the Steel in case both teams finish with 64 points due to Minnesota having more wins. If the two teams finish the season tied at 63 points, the tiebreaker would go to Chippewa since it finished with a better head-to-head record.
Chippewa can clinch with one win, two overtime/shootout losses, or one Wilderness loss (either in regulation or overtime/shootout).
To remain in contention for the playoffs, the Wilderness must do something they have not done since the 2021-22 season and that is sweep Springfield in a 2-game series. Minnesota last pulled out the brooms vs. the Jr. Blues on March 31 and April 1 of 2022 in a series in Cloquet. This season, Springfield holds a 4-1-1 record against the Wilderness in the season series.
Springfield last visited Cloquet on Oct. 4-5, 2024, when the Jr. Blues won both games by a score of 4-3.
The games this weekend are scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Northwoods Credit Union Arena in Cloquet. Game times for each night will be 7:15 p.m.
Last week, the Wilderness split a 2-game set at home vs. Janesville, falling 2-1 on Thursday, April, 3, and winning Friday, April 4, 5-3.
The Jr. Blues were swept in a home series vs. the Wisconsin Windigo, but did earn two points due to both contests finishing in overtime. The scores for the Windigo victories were 3-2, Friday, and 2-1, Saturday.
Media: All games can be seen on nahltv.com
Midwest Division standings:
| Place | Team | Games Played | Points | This weekend’s opponent |
| 1xy | Wisconsin | 57 | 84 | 2 games @ Janesville |
| 2x | Anchorage | 57 | 76 | 2 games vs. Chippewa |
| 2x | Fairbanks | 57 | 76 | 2 games vs. Kenai River |
| 4 | Chippewa | 57 | 63 | 2 games @ Anchorage |
| 5 | Wilderness | 57 | 60 | 2 games vs. Springfield |
| 6 | Springfield | 57 | 59 | 2 games @ Wilderness |
| 7 | Kenai River | 57 | 50 | 2 games @ Fairbanks |
| 8 | Janesville | 57 | 38 | 2 games vs. Wisconsin |
x = clinched playoff spot; y=clinched first place
Tale of the Tape:
| Team | GF | GA | PP | PK |
| Springfield | 155 | 174 | 35 for 233 (15%) | 31 for 218 (85.8%) |
| Wilderness | 202 | 194 | 51 for 255 (20%) | 33 for 203 (83.7%) |