Wild playoff opponent still up in the air, but down to three teams
Coming from behind to win in Nashville on Thursday night extended the Minnesota Wild's record winning streak. The win also might have shown the best possible playoff scenario for Minnesota.
The Predators, who lost their chance at the division title with the loss, were one of the league's best home teams when the Wild visited Nashville in late February. Minnesota won 4-2 on Feb. 16 and has won the past three road games against the Predators.
The Wild were one game away from the NHL's record road winning streak on Thursday, but decided to rest goaltender Devan Dubnyk and the three top goal scorers in Zach Parise, Nino Niederreiter and Thomas Vanek. Minnesota was facing a 2-0 early deficit. And yet, the Wild rallied to win its 12th straight road game and are 3-1-1 against the Predators this season.
Minnesota is 5-1-2 in its last eight games played in Nashville. Just don't ask the Wild what they think of possible playoff matchups.
"There's far too many scenarios right now where we could play anybody," head coach Mike Yeo told reporters before the game. "So, I've spent very little time thinking if we're going to play St. Louis, Nashville, Chicago or Anaheim. They're all possibilities, so it's just about trying to make sure that a lot of the decisions we're making right now are based on trying to get our game ready for the playoffs."
With one game left to play Saturday in St. Louis, the Wild are still looking at three possible first-round matchups. In their current position, Minnesota would open next week against the Central Division champion Blues. But much is to be determined with one game left.
Playing Nashville might be the toughest scenario to picture.
St. Louis, the Predators and Anaheim Ducks are locked into their positions within the division. Minnesota enters Saturday two points behind Chicago. A Wild win at St. Louis coupled with a Chicago loss at Colorado would give Minnesota third place in the Central and a matchup with Nashville, based on the Wild's 42 regulation or overtime wins. The Blackhawks have 39 such wins this season.
Four Central Division teams have reached 100 points. Anaheim leads the Pacific Division with 107 points, tied for the West lead with St. Louis. If Chicago wins or Minnesota loses Saturday, the Wild will be locked into the top wild card spot in the West and face either Anaheim or St. Louis. As the top wild-card team â and another Central division team in Winnipeg as the other wild card -- Minnesota will get the West's No. 2 seed in the first round.
The Ducks (with 42 regulation or overtime wins, the tiebreaker in the format) play at Arizona in the evening after the Blues (41 regulation or overtime wins) finish with the Wild.
Despite the Predators featuring one of the league's top goaltenders in Pekka Rinne -- usually a recipe for success in the playoffs â the Wild have had success against Nashville this season, particularly on the road.
Minnesota is 2-0-1 against St. Louis this season heading into Saturday's finale. The teams split the two games at Xcel Energy Center this season with Minnesota winning a 6-3 game and losing in a shootout, while the Wild won 3-1 at Scottrade Center last month.
And Minnesota is expected to bring back Dubnyk and its regular lineup to try and set the NHL record for road wins.
"Yeah, for sure you do," Yeo told reporters of wanting to set the record. "I think it's a really cool thing that we tied it. I know it doesn't sound like much and its only two points but I think there's a big difference between 98 and 100 points. When you get over the 100-point plateau, that's the mark of a really good hockey team. So, that meant something to us. But yeah, it would be something special, for sure."
Anaheim -- which would be the Wild's first-round opponent with a win against Phoenix and either a Minnesota loss or Chicago win -- is perhaps the scary matchup for the Wild. Minnesota is 0-3-0 against the Ducks this season and has been outscored 9-6. The Wild are 1-7-1 against Anaheim the past three seasons.
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