Devan Dubnyk takes unfamiliar spot on bench for key game

When the puck dropped Tuesday on the most important game of the Wild's season to date, goalie Devan Dubnyk was in an unfamiliar position for a contest of this magnitude.

On the bench.

Despite being at the forefront of the Wild's playoff pushes since his arrival in 2015, Dubnyk has been relegated to the backup role lately as the team continues to rely on Alex Stalock during his productive run.

"It's obviously a different scenario for me," Dubnyk said. "I've played 60 to 70 games for the last five years. So it's a different feeling and situation for me. But we're winning games, and that's what we're here to do."

Of Stalock, Dubnyk said: "He's been a great teammate to me throughout my time when I was playing, and I'm going to do the exact same thing for him when he's got an opportunity and playing great."

Stalock made a fifth consecutive start against the Predators at Xcel Energy Center after winning seven of his previous 10. This was the first time this season the Wild went back to Stalock after he lost in regulation when Dubnyk was also available. Overall, Stalock has started 34 games compared with 27 for Dubnyk.

"You need hot goaltending, clearly," interim coach Dean Evason said. "If it's one, great. If we're rotating them, great. Whatever works to give us a chance to have success, that's what we'll go with."

Dubnyk also has missed time while his wife, Jenn, dealt with a medical situation and although he's been a fixture with the team for the past handful of weeks, his opportunities have come in spurts.

But Dubnyk is focusing on the team and staying ready to help when he can.

"We're here to win games and make the playoffs, and Al is playing great right now and we're winning games," Dubnyk said. "So you don't look at it as a negative thing. You don't look at it as, 'I'm not playing this game.' You look at the fact that Al's been playing great, and he's been rolling and we're winning games. And that's what we're here to do right now.

"So you just support the best you can and stay sharp and work in practice and know that whenever the time comes, you contribute in any way that you're asked to contribute."

Luke Kunin was back in the lineup after missing the previous five games because of an upper-body injury. He drew in at right wing, filling out a line with left winger Zach Parise and center Joel Eriksson Ek. Gerald Mayhew was scratched to accommodate Kunin's return.

Kunin quickly shook off the rust, scoring the game's first goal on an assist from Eriksson Ek at 4:07 of the first period.

The Wild is donating $25,000 to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee to help support relief efforts after deadly tornadoes swept across Nashville and other areas of the state Tuesday.

Owner Craig Leipold and his wife, Helen, are also donating $25,000, and the NHL is matching this donation with an additional $50,000 contribution. The Wild held a moment of silence before Tuesday's game.

"My family spent over 10 years in Nashville during the time we owned the Predators," Leipold said in a statement released by the team. "We have wonderful memories of our time there, and our hearts go out to the community."