I checked in on the crowded field of Eastern Conference wild card hopefuls to see where each team stood. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators have played well enough in the interim, and I’m still bullish about their chances.

The Minnesota Wild have recalled forward Ben Jones from Iowa in order to replace Kirill Kaprizov for the remainder of their road trip.

Are the Minnesota Wild going to be forced out of St. Paul? That's what NHL commissioner Gary Bettman seemed to threaten recently.

Following an emphatic dunk against the Suns, Anthony Edwards directed an intense and unfiltered message toward the Suns players.

Missing this many games all but eliminates him from contention no matter how well he has played or how much he has produced this season.

Utah continues the road trip tomorrow with a rematch against the Winnipeg Jets. Tomorrow’s game at Canada Life Centre will be the third meeting of the season between the teams after Winnipeg defeated Utah 3-0 on Nov. 5, and Utah returned the favor 5-2 on Jan. 20. Tomorrow’s puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m. MT.

Kaprizov had a couple scoring chances for the Wild (28-16-4), who were delighted to get their superstar back after he missed the last 12 games with a lower-body injury. Karel Vejmelka made 26 saves for Utah (21-19-7) in what was just their second shutout win of the season.

Dylan Guenther, who scored both of Utah’s goals on Dec. 20, is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury. Mikhail Sergachev, who had three assists in those two games, is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. It’s unclear whether he’ll be ready to play Thursday.

The Wild went 3-for-3 on fights in the opening six minutes of their matchup, taking out some frustration on Nashville. However, Minnesota may have burned off all of its energy exacting revenge. With the fighting out of the way, the Predators — third from last in the Western Conference — might win the game.

Minnesota Wild's Andrew Brunette, left, celebrates his game-winning goal in overtime that lifted the Wild to an improbable 3-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 of their Western Conference quarterfinal in Denver, Colo. on Tuesday, April 22 ...

The Dallas Stars and Golden Knights have been two of the West's top teams for years, and it may be the Conference Final we deserve.