ST. LOUIS – The Blues aren't the only division opponent the Wild has to try to pry points from to improve its chances of clinching a playoff spot, as the Avalanche and Stars could be equally — if not more — influential to the Wild's bid.
But the matchups with the Blues seem to ignite a little more energy. Previous meetings in the postseason have stoked their rivalry.
"Come playoff time, it's a whole other beast, whole other animal," winger Jason Zucker said. "So those are ones that you definitely hold in the memory bank a little longer."
That awareness of the teams' history was clear Tuesday during the teams' second-to-last battle of the regular season; the finale is Feb. 27 in St. Paul.
After eliminating the Wild in five games last spring in the first round of the playoffs — after the Wild knocked out the Blues in 2015 — the Blues might have the current edge in a series that sits at 2-1 Wild with Tuesday's 6-2 victory. But the back-and-forth nature of the duels seems to sustain the competitive vibe.
"They play a similar style to us, as well," goalie Devan Dubnyk said. "They play a tight game, hard-checking game. They have good players and good offensive ability, as well. The fact we play them [four] times a year, they're always emotional games. They're always huge games, and most of the time they're close."
The feeling from the other bench is mutual.
"Two very good, competitive hockey teams going head to head as much as you do, it's going to bring out some nastiness and some intensity," said Blues bench boss and former Wild coach Mike Yeo. "I would say that that type of familiarity — both them with us and us with them — certainly makes it intense, fun hockey."
