A five-game winning streak made the most meaningful impact on the Wild in the standings, lifting the team to a wild-card spot in the Western Conference after five consecutive losses dropped it from one.
But that's not all this run affected.
It also restored the players' confidence, a well-timed boost that the group hopes will continue to help it navigate a challenging schedule that picks up Tuesday with a rematch against the Predators in Nashville at the outset of a three-game road trip.
"Lately, every time we go on the ice, we think we're going to win," coach Bruce Boudreau said. "We don't think something bad is going to happen to us. We are going to get the lead, and we're going to hold it."
Before playing the Predators on Sunday at Xcel Energy Center, that had become the norm for the Wild.
In four of those recent five victories, the Wild scored first and never trailed. And when it did fall behind, last Tuesday in Winnipeg, the team was still competitive enough to be in position to rally — which it did in dramatic fashion, burying two goals in the final 1 minute, 27 seconds of play to stun the Jets 3-2.
Another Wild comeback seemed to be in the works Sunday. Two goals in quick succession near the end of the second period flipped a deficit into a lead, but steady pressure from the Predators eventually tied it at 2 before they eked out a four-round 3-2 shootout victory.
The point the Wild earned was still valuable — and impressive considering the team played in Calgary the night before — but perhaps what was just as important was the impression from players after the game that their newfound swagger wasn't shaken by the loss.
