Projection says Wild has the fourth-best chance of winning Stanley Cup of any team in NHL

Just how hot is the Minnesota Wild right now?

Well, the squad gone from a 9.3 percent chance of making the playoffs at the all-star break, based on Hockey Reference's projections, to a 100 percent chance now of making the playoffs (even though the clinch is not yet official).

But perhaps more interestingly and impressively: the site gives the Wild the second-best chance of winning the Stanley Cup of any team in the Western Conference, and the fourth-best chance of winning it all among NHL teams.

The breakdown in terms of percent chance:

New York Rangers (tonight's opponent): 11.7 percent chance to win the Cup.

Tampa Bay Lightning (Phil Hughes' favorite team, and a Wild/Bolts final would probably cause him to miss several starts because his nails would be bitten off): 9.3 percent.

Chicago Blackhawks (A team the Wild could face in the first round of the playoffs): 8.4 percent.

Interestingly, that puts Minnesota and Chicago ahead of fellow Central Division foes Nashville (6.5) and St. Louis (7.2), though it does speak to the overall strength of that division.