Kevin Fiala, Wild win two of three on the road to keep in playoff chase

As the Wild moved closer to a playoff position at the end of February and into March, the team used the same strategy: Build a comfortable lead and then hold off the opposition the rest of the way.

But during its three-game road swing last week through California, the Wild changed course.

The team blew a lead and then retaliated. It also fell behind before rallying.

What wasn't different, though, were the results, as the Wild still nabbed a pair of wins to return home in the first wild-card spot in the West with 77 points. Winnipeg's win Monday night dropped Minnesota into the No. 2 spot.

"Hopefully we can put all these in the memory bank going forward," interim coach Dean Evason said, "because we're going to have to play extremely well in a lot of different ways to have success."

Only twice in the past two weeks has the Wild lost in regulation, steadiness that started when the offense exploded. Its next game is Thursday at home against Vegas.

The team's 17 goals during victories over Columbus (twice) and Detroit on Feb. 25-28 tied the franchise record for a three-game span, and the team ran away from Nashville last Tuesday 3-1 in a statement effort.

In San Jose on Thursday, the Wild opened the scoring and then buried two in the second to erase a 1-1 tie before barely surviving a frenetic third-period push by the Sharks to eke out a 3-2 decision.

Although the Wild ultimately was twisted up 7-3 by the Kings on Saturday, it evened the score at 1 after giving up the first goal for the first time in seven games and then made it 4-3 before the Kings squashed the comeback bid with three more goals.

Against the Ducks on Sunday, the team's come-from-behind push was better.

Again, the Wild was in an early hole but it went on to lead Anaheim 2-1 and 4-3 in the third period. After the Ducks scored late in regulation, the Wild finally shrugged them off for good in overtime for the 5-4 win.

"Not the way we wanted," winger Kevin Fiala said. "We don't want to give them the lead any time in the game. But it's going to happen. It's going to happen like this [where] we have to come back. Honestly, it's a nice way to win to know we can come back in the third."

Fiala was responsible for the overtime clincher vs. the Ducks, and winger Zach Parise had the decisive goal over the Sharks. But center Alex Galchenyuk scored in each victory, winger Mats Zuccarello recorded his first goal in 18 games Sunday, and center Victor Rask capitalized on a return to the lineup against the Ducks by potting his first goal since Dec. 27. Rask had been scratched for seven straight games and 15 of the previous 17.

"For Victor Rask to be out however many games he was out and then come back and score a goal, it's great," Evason said.

Goalie Devan Dubnyk also prevailed in his first start after a seven-game hiatus, overcoming a few rough goals.

"Halfway through the game I still felt like I hadn't played in two weeks," Dubnyk said. "I hadn't done anything. To top it off, they squeeze one in at the side of the net. It's tough. It's hard. It becomes a challenge.

"You're disappointed. You want to contribute. You feel like you're letting guys down. You go into the third down when you probably shouldn't be. All these things, they're part of sports. You just try to battle through and find a way."

"Guys just talked about how much we needed the two points and we gotta bear down and go at it," Dubnyk said. "With this group over the last long stretch here, we just believe in ourselves to do it."