Joel Eriksson Ek powered the offense with a goal and two assists, and the Minnesota Wild continued their strong late-season push with a 5–2 win over the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.

Matt Boldy and Marcus Johansson each contributed a goal and an assist, while Marcus Foligno and Vladimir Tarasenko also found the back of the net. In goal, Jesper Wallstedt turned aside 25 shots as Minnesota stretched its winning streak to four games.

Seattle struck first and briefly dictated the pace early, capitalizing on opportunities in the opening period. Brandon Montour opened the scoring shortly after a power play expired, and Adam Larsson quickly restored the Kraken’s lead after Minnesota had tied it. Despite trailing, the Wild remained composed and gradually settled into their rhythm.

Minnesota’s response came through sustained pressure and opportunistic finishing. Boldy evened the score with a quick reaction on a rebound during a rush chance, setting the tone for what became a more controlled and confident effort from the home side.

Foligno shifted momentum further just seconds into the second period, driving hard to the net and finishing a backhand on a partial break to tie the game again. From that point forward, Minnesota began to dictate possession and limit Seattle’s clean entries.

Seattle briefly thought it had regained the lead, but the goal was overturned following a successful challenge that determined interference on the play. That moment proved pivotal, as the Wild quickly capitalized at the other end and never looked back.

Tarasenko’s goal later in the second period gave Minnesota its first lead of the night, and Johansson extended that advantage in the third with a well-executed finish off a setup from Boldy. Eriksson Ek sealed the result with an empty-net goal late in regulation.

Minnesota’s depth scoring and ability to respond under pressure proved decisive, while Wallstedt’s steady performance helped preserve the lead as Seattle attempted to claw back into the contest.

With the win, the Wild improved to 45–21–12 and remain within striking distance of the Dallas Stars for second place in the Central Division. The standings battle carries added weight, as the higher finisher would secure home-ice advantage in a potential first-round playoff matchup between the two clubs.

For Seattle, the loss extended its struggles to six straight defeats and just one win in its last 11 games. Despite generating chances, the Kraken were unable to consistently convert opportunities and continued to be undone by defensive lapses and turnovers at critical moments.