What we learned about the West-leading Wild during an impressive first month of the season

The Minnesota Wild closed a 3-1-1 road trip with a 3-1 victory over the Utah Mammoth to claim the top spot in the Western Conference. Under head coach John Hynes, Minnesota has thrived despite playing 10 of their first 14 games away from home. Goaltender Jesper Wallstedt has anchored the team with an 8-2-2 record and a 1.99 goals-against average, stepping up during Filip Gustavsson's absence following hip surgery.

Minnesota's top line of Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Matt Boldy has emerged as a dominant five-on-five unit, with Kaprizov leading the NHL with 14 goals. Defenseman Quinn Hughes recorded two assists Tuesday, crossing 18 points on the season amid speculation regarding a future contract extension. Meanwhile, off-season additions including Blake Coleman and Olli Maatta have helped stabilize a defense missing Brock Faber.