Through changes and injury, Wild keeps points streak alive

TEMPE, ARIZ. — One of the Wild's best defensemen hasn't played in weeks, their leading scorer is also hurt, and they've integrated three newcomers into their lineup after a shakeup at the trade deadline.

Change has become the norm, and the Wild keep adapting. But they've still held onto some predictability.

They haven't lost in regulation in almost a month.

"We find a way to battle and get points, and that's the most important part," goaltender Filip Gustavsson said. "It's better to get points every time then just sometimes."

The Wild are on a 13-game point streak going into their road trip finale on Wednesday at St. Louis, their 10-0-3 run tied with the 12-0-1 tear from Dec. 2-29, 2016, as the longest in franchise history.

Not only have they remained consistent despite roster turnover, but this roll has lifted the Wild into contention for the top seeds in the Central Division and Western Conference with about a month to go before the playoffs.

"The feeling in this locker room is really good right now," Mason Shaw said. "We got a good thing going, and we're not going to stop anytime soon here."

No one in the NHL has posted more wins or picked up more points than the Wild during their streak.

Since a 2-1 shootout victory over Dallas on Feb. 17 kicked off this climb, they've banked 23 points to catapult into second place in the division from fourth; with 15 games left in the regular season, a whopping 11 points separate them from Nashville and Calgary, the two teams just outside the playoff picture in the West.

What's been the Wild's catalyst?

Their defense.

During these 13 games, they've given up only 20 goals and a fourth of those came Sunday when they fell 5-4 in overtime at Arizona. That was the first time in 11 games the Wild were scored on more than twice.

Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury have been in net for five victories apiece, with Gustavsson sporting a .944 save percentage and Fleury at .957.

Overall, the Wild's 1.54 goals-against average in this span leads the league and they've been this effective in their own end mostly without Jonas Brodin.

He hasn't suited up since Feb. 21 vs. Los Angeles, missing the next 10 games to rest a nagging lower-body injury. Brodin is with the Wild on their trip and has resumed skating.

"Our group's been really stingy lately, so to give up five is a little uncharacteristic," Shaw said after the overtime loss to the Coyotes. "But obviously we have to keep that number lower like we have."

As for the offense, that output has improved.

After finishing with two goals or less in seven of the first 10 games during their point streak, the Wild have racked up 13 in their past three. And the bulk of that production has occurred without Kirill Kaprizov, who suffered a lower-body injury last Wednesday at Winnipeg that's expected to sideline him for three to four weeks.

In two games without Kaprizov, the Wild have had seven different players score and all four lines have contributed; against Arizona, the fourth line delivered, with Shaw, Connor Dewar and Ryan Reaves combining for two goals and six points.

"Obviously, with Kirill out, a lot of guys gotta step up," Reaves said. "It was good for our line to put a couple in for the boys. Gonna have to continue it."

Also chipping in are Marcus Johansson, Oskar Sundqvist and John Klingberg, three of the Wild's four additions ahead of the trade deadline earlier this month. (Gustav Nyquist is still out because a shoulder injury but is skating.)

Johansson has a goal and two assists while clicking with Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy. Sundqvist owns two assists and was with Frederick Gaudreau and Marcus Foligno before Foligno left Sunday's game because of a lower-body injury. On defense, Klingberg is a plus-5 and has factored into three goals.

Although they haven't been perfect, dropping two games in overtime and another in a shootout, the Wild have established a blueprint that works for them.

Now the challenge is to keep sticking to it.

"For the most part this stretch that we've been going on, our D-zone's been really good, and I think that's the strength of our team," Reaves said. "So, as long as we keep that up, we're going to continue going here."