For Minnesota Wild, it Doesn’t Get More Important than the Next Two

In my last article related to the Minnesota Wild’s playoff chances, I said they’re going have to go on one heck of a run to grab a wildcard spot. Since then, they’ve been up to the task, going 7-2-1 in their last ten games, tied for the best in the league. They’re also on a five-game winning streak, the best in the league by two games.

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Even more importantly, they’re doing it against the right teams. In the streak they’ve taken down Vancouver, Calgary and Colorado, all teams jockeying for playoff positioning.

Now the Wild find themselves just one place back of the 8th and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with some absolutely monstrous games in the near future. They’ll look to sweep their three-game home-stand on Monday night, when the 6th place Vancouver Canucks come to town.

One thing the Wild have going for them is games-in-hand. They’ve currently played 51 games on the season, which is tied for least in the Western Conference. Where we notice this the most is in the race with the Winnipeg Jets, who occupy the 7th spot in the West, but have played four more games than Minnesota. That means the Wild have the chance to pick up eight points on the Jets, which is exactly how many points they currently trail them by. Tuesday’s contest in Winnipeg is a huge opportunity for Minnesota.

Another team we’re gunning for is the eighth-place Calgary Flames. They are five points ahead of the Wild but have played two more games. These teams will square off in Minnesota on February 18th and in Calgary on March 27th.

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It’ll be tougher to catch the Canucks, because they have five points on the Wild and have played the same amount of games. But with two more match ups (home and away), anything can happen. Every conference game this time of year is crucial. For example, if the Wild lose in regulation on Monday night, they will be seven points back of Vancouver, versus just three if they pull out a regulation victory.

If they’re going to keep this momentum going, the Wild will need Devan Dubnyk’s outstanding play to continue. Yes, they’ve been playing much better in front of Dubnyk than they did for Kuemper or Backstrom, but you simply can’t argue with the numbers he has put up. Per the Star Tribune:

"“Dubnyk now has four shutouts in nine starts with the Wild and has allowed three goals in five games since the All-Star break. In nine starts, he is 7-1 (one no-decision in Detroit) with a 1.31 goals-against average and .948 save percentage. Per Elias, Dubnyk is the fastest to post four shutouts with a team among goalies who debut in the NHL expansion era (1967-68 or later).”"

The Wild look to continue their hike up the Western Conference mountain on Monday night against the Canucks. The puck drops at 7 pm central at the Xcel Energy Center.

Next: Wild: News, Notes and Links from 2/6

Feb 7, 2015; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk makes a save in the third period against the Colorado Avalanche at Xcel Energy Center. The Minnesota Wild beat the Colorado Avalanche 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports