The Minnesota Wild suffered their 6th loss in the past 8 games last night, falling to the lowly Carolina Hurricanes. While Minnesota has all but clinched a playoff spot, these games still do matter. Minnesota is now three points behind the Chicago Blackhawks for first place in the Western Conference.
Is that really such a big deal? You could argue that it isn’t. But as of now, Minnesota’s most likely first-round opponent would be the Nashville Predators. Early season struggles have suppressed Nashville’s record, but they’re a very balanced, dangerous team. Then their reward in the second round would likely be Chicago.