WINNIPEG -- Charlie Coyle scored the game's only goal and Ilya Bryzgalov made 24 saves as the Minnesota Wild defeated the Winnipeg Jets 1-0 on Monday.
Coyle's one-timer off a pass from Zach Parise at 1:05 of the second period came just after a penalty to Winnipeg defenceman Mark Stuart had expired.
The Wild (41-26-12) all but clinched a Western Conference wild-card berth with the win. Minnesota would need to lose its final three games with Phoenix winning four straight in order for the Wild to miss the playoffs.
The Jets (35-35-10), who will miss the playoffs for the seventh straight season stretching back to their time as the Atlanta Thrashers, iced an injury-depleted lineup. With two games remaining and 80 points to their credit, the Jets are assured of finishing behind their 51-point pace of the lockout-shortened 2013 season, which would have extrapolated to 87 points in a full campaign.
Michael Hutchinson, a 24-year-old rookie who began the season in the ECHL, made his first career NHL start with regular backup Al Montoya still suffering from a lower-body injury.
He wasn't asked to make many difficult stops, but Hutchinson's only blemish on 17 shots came on Coyle's one-timer.
Bryzgalov wasn't much busier, but did have a higher degree of difficulty. Not bothered by a taunting crowd, the trade-deadline pickup from Edmonton stopped all 24 shots he faced for his fourth shutout of the season.
The shots were 7-6 Jets in the first period and 7-5 Wild in the second, as neither team could generate any offence.
The third period was wide open by comparison, with Winnipeg sending 12 pucks at Bryzgalov. Even four power-play chances couldn't help the Jets find the back of the net.
Winnipeg winger Evander Kane, who was a healthy scratch Saturday night in Toronto for reportedly being late to a team meeting, was back in the lineup. He managed just one shot on goal and was on the ice for Coyle's goal.
The Jets wrap up their home schedule Thursday night against Boston, and finish their season the next night in Calgary.
Minnesota returns home to face Boston, St. Louis and Nashville.
Notes: Jets captain Andrew Ladd missed his first game due to injury since the 2010-11 season, while Dustin Byfuglien (torn muscle) is done for the season. a Still on the Jets' injured list were forwards Chris Thorburn and Mark Scheifele and defencemen Keaton Ellerby and Zach Bogosian. a Minnesota was without forwards Mikael Granlund and Jason Zucker and defencemen Clayton Stoner and Keith Ballard. a Jets centre Jim Slater played in his 500th career NHL game.
