Springfield Swings in for End-Of-Season Showdown
April 10, 2025 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Minnesota Wilderness News Release
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.
Both Springfield and Minnesota 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 4th place with 63 points. The Wilderness sit three points behind in 5th place with 60 points, while Springfield is in 6th place with 59 points. To make the playoffs, Minnesota and Springfield need two wins this weekend and need Chippewa to drop both of its games in Anchorage, AK, against the Anchorage Wolverines. The Wilderness and Jr. Blues both hold tiebreakers over the Steel in case they finish with the same amount of points as Chippewa.
In regards to overtime, if the Wilderness wins its final two games, it could still survive if Chippewa loses one of its games in overtime or a shootout, but it would need Anchorage to win the other contest in regulation. Springfield would need the Steel to lose both of its matches in regulation if it beats the Wilderness twice this weekend.
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.
Friday night's contest will be especially pivotal, as the loser's playoff hopes will evaporate.
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%)
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