Five reasons Wild can win the Stanley Cup

By defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Sunday night, the Minnesota Wild took full control of the Western Conference. They have 61 points in 42 games, while the Blackhawks have 59 in 46 contests.

Here are five reasons why the Wild could win their first Stanley Cup in June:

Devan Dubnyk The Dominator: His numbers this season (23-7-3 record, 1.78 goals-against average, .940 save percentage, five shutouts) are even more impressive than the statistics that Montreal’s Carey Price produced when he won the Hart Trophy in 2015 — (44-16-6, 1.96, .933).

At 30, Dubnyk boasts an aura of invincibility that can carry a team during a playoff series.

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Better at center: General manager Chuck Fletcher’s offseason signing of Eric Staal has given the Wild a big one-two center combination that allows them to match up effectively with any opponent.

Staal is 6-4, and Mikko Koivu is 6-3. They have combined for 28 goals and 41 assists in the first half of the season.

Bruce Boudreau the guru: The Wild seemed like a dysfunctional family over the past two seasons, and father figure Boudreau’s entertaining personality appeared to be just what the team needed to find their harmony.

But no one should underestimate Boudreau’s coaching effectiveness. He frets over every detail, and he is far more demanding than he looks from afar. He demands accountability. He knows how to win.

Roster depth: The best way to illustrate how much deeper the Wild are today is to point out that Zach Parise, once the team's go-to forward, is the No. 8 scorer with 20 points.

The Wild have six different players with 10 or more goals, but Parise is not among them. The Wild receive scoring from players up and down their lineup, and they should have four defensemen (Ryan Suter, Matt Dumba, Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin) with 30+ points by the end of the season.

Well-rounded approach: The Wild no longer need to play a road-game style — simplifying their game — even at home, to be successful.

The Wild are 17-1-1 since Dec. 4 because they are strong in most aspects of the game. Minnesota ranks fourth in goals per game (3.26) and second in goals-against average (2.14). The Wild's penalty killing ranks sixth (84.9%) and their power play efficiency is 13th (20.2%). The Wild are able to thrive in a variety of different ways.