This feels like one of the biggest -- if not the biggest – game so far this season for the Wild.
Bruce Boudreau's team has a three-game winning streak, but here comes Nashville, the defending Western Conference champ, with a five-game winning streak of its own. Xcel Energy Center should be buzzing Thursday night.
Devan Dubnyk has posted three straight shutouts, but Nashville has racked up 23 goals (4.6 per game) during the winning streak.
"We know with a divisional game, how vital these things are," Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said after today's morning skate. "We're only 1-3 with divisional games, so we know we've got to pick up our pace against this team. They're a team that's always fighting for the divisional lead anywhere. If we can't get up for Nashville we can't get up for anybody."
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Dubnyk's shutout streak is at 195 minutes, 5 seconds.
Asked how he keeps that momentum going away from the rink, Dubnyk said, "Nothing changes. Nothing changes if it's not going well, nothing changes if it's going well. Obviously, it's a little more enjoyable when it's going well, but you just keep the same routine and you approach each game as a new challenge.
"Tonight's game has nothing to do with the last game or the last three. It's a new challenge, and [Nashville's] playing really well right now. So we've got our hands full tonight, but we're very capable of it."
