When this space last visited Xcel Energy Center, the home team was trounced by the Vegas Golden Knights, 5-1, and holding onto the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot.
It wasn’t difficult to see why.
After relying on a potent offense to earn a franchise-best 113 points last season, a mark that included 25 come-from-behind wins, the Wild were playing like a team with an offense capable of rallying for 25 victories.
They still aren’t that team, and won’t be for however long this season lasts, but that’s OK because they’re not trying to play like that team anymore. Since that loss to the Knights back on Feb. 9, the Wild have tightened things up considerably and gone 17-3-6 in their past 26 games.
There was a lot made of the fact that in early February, the Wild ranked 28th among the NHL’s 32 teams in even-strength goals. Well, guess what? They still do, yet even after a disappointing, 4-3 shootout loss to the Knights on Monday, the Wild are in position to win their first division title, and second ever, since 2007-08.
And that’s important. It’s been a while since Minnesota had a favorable first-round playoff matchup, and you’d better believe they’d rather play wild-card leaders Seattle or Winnipeg in the first round than Central rivals Colorado or Dallas, currently ahead of Minnesota by dint of more regulation wins.
“Yeah, it’s important,” said winger Matt Boldy, who scored his 13th goal in 12 games on Monday — and has 20 points in his past 15 games. “I think a lot of it just you’re trying to win every game. Obviously, the standings are important come playoff time, with your matchups and home ice and stuff like that, but we’re not going into any game thinking that it’s going to be an easy one, or anything like that.
“I think we have that mentality that rather than just going in and pushing to be first, we’re going in to win every game, and if (winning the division) is the outcome, then that’s the outcome.”
Only two points separate the Wild, Dallas and Colorado.
Monday’s loss hurt, no doubt. The Wild were 35 seconds from pulling within two points of Western Conference-leading Vegas before a wrist shot from between the circles by Pavel Dorofeyev tied the game with goaltender Laurent Brossoit on the bench. Still, it wasn’t a gut job.
For one thing, the one point and Nashville’s loss to Dallas officially clenched Minnesota a playoff berth. Equally important, after a lapse on Saturday — a 4-1 loss at Vegas — the Wild got back to playing hard and tight.
“We played a hell of a hockey game,” coach Dean Evason said. “Listen, that’s our first step right?”
That’s why one looks at the Wild and sees a team that could break into the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2014-15.
For one thing, the Wild have earned a lot of points (7-2-3) since Kirill Kaprizov was lost to a lower-body injury during a 4-2 victory at Winnipeg on March 8. The left wing and Wild’s leading scorer has started skating on his own, and Evason and if all was well with him after skating alone at the X, his next step would be a no-contact practice.
For what it’s worth, Wednesday marks four weeks since the injury, the end of Minnesota’s three- to four-week timeline for Kaprizov’s return. He will return, and the Wild will be more dangerous for the playoffs.
And winning the Central Division would only help.
“We’re not focused on getting higher in the standings; we’re focused on getting two points,” Evason said. “We’re going to talk about trying to stay as healthy as we possibly can when we get into the playoffs.”
That’s all well and good, but seriously, winning the division is the best next step.
