Suter hopes surging Wild get chance to continue season

Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter is hoping for hockey to return regardless of which format the league chooses to go with.

"We're willing to do whatever," Suter said, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "We want to play. Our team was really playing well down the stretch here, and we want to see if we can continue that."

The Wild were one of the league's hottest teams in the month before the pause, winning eight of their last 11 games while clawing their way back into the playoff hunt. They currently sit just one point behind the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

"This year has been such an emotional roller coaster," Suter said. "We started out terrible. ... We battled back and went through ups and downs, and to finally be in a position to have an opportunity to make the playoffs says a lot about our group."

The veteran defenseman also pointed to his age, 35, as another reason he hopes to get a shot at the Stanley Cup this season.

"Guys only get to do this for so long," Suter added. "I've been fortunate. I've been able to do it for longer than the average. So, yeah, at any age I think you want to play, and you don't want to lose these opportunities."

Suter added that it would be "disappointing" if the season ends without a proper conclusion due to "where we were at the start of the year to where we are now."

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