Nashville game put Wild on road to recovery

One day, one game, made so much difference.

Think back to Friday, after the Wild had lost a 4-0 matinee at home to the Columbus Blue Jackets. It was the team's second consecutive home loss, its third defeat in four games. And, in the ultra-tight Western Conference, the Wild had tumbled from a top-three team to No. 9.

Move forward one day. Just more than 24 hours later, Wild coach Jacques Lemaire was in the tunnel outside his team's locker room in Nashville. His team had just defeated the Predators 4-3 on a late goal by Branko Radivojevic. The Wild had gotten a much-needed road victory and moved, at least for a few hours, back into the No. 3 spot in the West.

And that was just the start of the good news.

"It's important, because we're staying with the teams right now that are in the playoff positions right now," Lemaire said. "It's good for us, especially when you look at the injuries. Pavol [Demitra] probably will come back next game, and that should give us a lift. As long as all the guys that are in the dressing room right now get ready to play the next game, we'll be fine."

The Wild won't be 100 percent. Not yet. Center Mikko Koivu, the team's best player until sustaining a crack in his left fibula in Vancouver a week ago courtesy of Mattias Ohlund's two-handed slash, doesn't appear nearly ready to return.

But Demitra, a dynamic player, definitely improves the mindset and the potential of a Wild team looking to return to the form that led to a 7-0-1 start this season.

And while scoring is about the same with or without Demitra, there is no question that being without the talented winger forces Lemaire to alter his other lines. Without Demitra, the Wild special teams have suffered as well.

And this season, even a little boost can make a big difference. Just look at the standings: Entering Sunday's games, Detroit had a clear lead in the Western Conference with 32 points. But four teams (including the Wild) were tied at 26, two had 25 and four teams had 24 points. Even No. 13 Phoenix -- the Wild's opponent Wednesday at Xcel Energy Center -- has 22 points.

More than ever, every point is precious. The Wild certainly knows that, having come so close to taking the Northwest Division title last season -- and the third seed that came with it -- only to fall short.

"You don't want to talk about what if, or what might have been," winger Mark Parrish said. "Look back at all the games we had coming down late into the third period, whether it was just getting a point or losing two points completely, or whatever it was, it was frustrating. We certainly don't want to have that happen again."

Etc.

"At the start, I didn't like him that much," Lemaire said of Backstrom, who played in both of the Wild's back-to-back games. "But after that, [especially] in the third, he was great. As the game went on, he started to be the goaltender he was last year."

• Defenseman Kurtis Foster sustained a hairline fraction in his face. He'll be out three to five days.