It was a day the Polsfut family will never forget. It came a few weeks after a day the Polsfut family would like to forget.

As the final seconds ticked away on Sunday’s game at the Xcel Energy Center and the Wild secured a 6-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings, brothers Erik and James Polsfut hustled downstairs for a meet-and-greet with Minnesota’s star goaltender, Devan Dubnyk.

It lasted about 15 minutes, though the memories will last a lifetime. As the brothers emerged from the locker room, beaming, their mother, Julie Polsfut, started to tear up.

“There haven’t been a lot of smiles since it happened,” she said faintly while glancing at her husband, Dean Polsfut. “To see them smile makes our day as parents.”

These fleeting moments serve as a momentary escape for the Andover family that has been living a nightmare since their house burned down a few weeks ago.

They remember the day as though it were yesterday.

It was Jan. 25, and as a part of the Wild’s Youth Hockey Spotlight initiative, the club took over the peewee game between the Rogers and Andover. It’s a program the organization has started this season with the goal of bringing the excitement of an NHL game experience at the X to the youth level for a night.

James Polsfut, 12, plays for Andover, and although his team lost, the family left knowing it was a night they would never forget.

“It was a great night,” Dean Polsfut recalled. “As we’re driving home, we were reliving how much fun it was and we were talking about it, and when we were about halfway home my cellphone rang.”

It was a neighbor telling them to get home right away.

“We drove home as quickly as we could,” Dean Polsfut continued. “When we got into the neighborhood I dropped them off at a neighbor’s house because I wasn’t sure what we were getting into, so I wanted to by myself. I got home and there were already several firetrucks and the fire was already well under way.

“I just sat there and watched.”

The Polsfut family lost everything, including the family dog, and have spent the past few weeks trying to put the pieces back together.

While it certainly doesn’t make up for the tragedy, the Polsfut family agreed that days like Sunday help.

“It couldn’t have have been a better day for our family,” Dean Polsfut said. “It gave us a breather, which we haven’t really had yet.”

“It was a great day because it’s something so close to us,” he added. “We are huge Wild fans, and our sons, if there was a way to get their mind off of it, this was absolutely the perfect way to do it.”

As for Dubnyk, he jumped at the opportunity to help.

“It’s a tragedy,” Dubnyk said. “As athletes, we’re in positions here where we can do little things to help people in lots of different situations. I feel like if we can take their minds off of what’s going on at home for a short period of time, then that’s a fun thing to do.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up for the Polsfut family. You can donate here.