Ryan Suter

A big advantage on special teams was the difference Tuesday night for the Minnesota Wild.

Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter has a broken right ankle that will require surgery and end his season, right before the start of the playoffs.

The Minnesota Wild signed defenseman Jonas Brodin to a six-year, $25 million contract extension Sunday.

Paul Stastny scored 7:27 into overtime after tying the game with 13.4 seconds remaining in regulation, lifting the Colorado Avalanche to a 5-4 win over the Minnesota Wild in the opener of the Western Conference quarterfinals on Thursday night.

The Minnesota Wild found out during the second intermission their spot in the playoffs was secure. Satisfaction came only after they won their way in with a strong finish.

For the rematch, Canada skipped the overtime and shelved the theatrics. One slick goal and 60 minutes of stifling defensive hockey kept the Canadians firmly on top of the U.S. and moved them to the brink of gold again.

One of the charms of the Olympics is seeing and hearing the family members of the athletes cheering from the seats and waving the national flags after traveling around the world to get there. Concerns about safety in Sochi have prompted some U.S. Olympians to tell their loved ones to stay home, however. Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter, who will skate for Team USA next month, is one of them.

The Minnesota Wild are finding a way to win without injured stars Zach Parise and Mikko Koivu. Former Sioux Falls Stampede defenseman Nate Prosser scored his third career goal at 2:42 of overtime, lifting the Wild over the Dallas Stars 3-2 on Saturday night.

A big milestone for Darcy Kuemper came in a big win for the Minnesota Wild. Dany Heatley had a goal and an assist, Kuemper made 23 saves for his first career shutout, and the Wild beat the Nashville Predators 4-0 on Sunday night.

Ryan Suter had a career-best performance, and the Minnesota Wild made NHL history -- all part of one impressive comeback Saturday night.