After losing ground during layoff, Wild returns to face Lightning

The Wild hasn't played a game in almost a week, but plenty has changed since the last time it suited up.

Just ask coach Bruce Boudreau.

"I did a lot of swearing at home," Boudreau said. "I just wish they would have done it earlier than instead of giving me hope and waiting until the last minute to tie it up and win it in overtime all the time."

After rising to the first wild-card berth and sitting just two points shy of the third-seeded Blues when it went idle Monday, the Wild reconvened Friday following its mandatory five-day break out of a playoff spot and six points shy of St. Louis in a makeover of the Western Conference pecking order.

Central Division teams went 8-0-1 while the Wild watched, but it's a run the Wild can counter starting Saturday, when it hosts the Lightning.

"We just have to expect that to happen," goalie Devan Dubnyk said. "We're going to need to earn our way there and win the games we're going to have a chance to play, and that's all it comes down to. Too many good teams to sit and hope that other teams lose. We just have to get our points when we can."

Climbing back to its previous perch could be challenging. The Wild will be without winger Nino Niederreiter until after next weekend's All-Star break, as he remains sidelined because of a lower-body injury that already has cost him four games.

"It's a setback," Boudreau said. "But we want to make sure when he does get back he's healthy."

Niederreiter has been in and out of the lineup because of injury for much of the season; he missed six games in October because of a high left ankle sprain.

A different injury to the same ankle kept him out of action for five games in December and early January. When he returned, he was able to appear in only two games before sitting out again — this time with a lower-body injury. It's unclear if this injury is the same left ankle issue that Niederreiter dealt with previously.

Despite being out for chunks of the season, Niederreiter is still tied for third on the team in goals with 13.

"I think it's really tough when you get injured early in the season just getting back into the groove of everything and then you try to come back early, may not be the best thing for you and you get hurt again," Boudreau said. "So this time we're going to wait until he's completely healthy."

"Gives us another forward," Boudreau said. "Gives us a little different dimension. Tampa's a really fast team. Kyle's a fast skater, hard worker. So it just gives you options again."

The Eden Prairie native and University of Minnesota alum has 33 games of NHL experience but is poised to make his debut with the Wild on Saturday on Hockey Day Minnesota after signing with the organization over the summer.

Rau, whose brother Chad also played for the Wild, would be the 24th Minnesotan to skate for the Wild in the regular season.

"Anyone that's watched me play knows that I work hard," Rau said. "I love going in on the forecheck, so I'm sure that's where it'll start tomorrow and then go from there."

As if meeting the Lightning after five days off isn't daunting enough, the Wild's final game before the All-Star break is Thursday against the reigning Stanley Cup champion Penguins.