This week, the Wild powered past two teams that will not make the NHL playoffs, with wins in Calgary and Edmonton.
Now, the big question: Can they beat San Jose — a potential playoff team — on the road?
As the Pioneer Press puts it: Is the recent success part of a short-lived illusion or a sign that the Wild have rediscovered the recipe that produced nine wins in 10 games in March?
A win in regulation would put Minnesota (51 points) in fifth place in the playoff seedings, ahead of San Jose (53 points), with four games to go.
This one could also get a bit chippy.
The last time Minnesota was in San Jose, Wild veteran Dany Heatley suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in a scrap at the end of regulation — a 4-2 Sharks win.
No word if there will be retaliation for that tonight, but it should be a playoff atmosphere at the very least.
