Wild safely in playoffs, but there's still plenty at stake as season winds down

MONTREAL — The Wild has already secured a spot in the playoffs, advancing for the ninth time over the past 10 years, but that doesn't mean the final seven games of the regular season are irrelevant.

From individual milestones to battling for home-ice advantage in the first round, there's plenty at stake for the Wild the rest of the way, beginning Tuesday at Montreal.

"We gotta shore our game up and just get to feeling like we're playing at our best going into playoffs," captain Jared Spurgeon said.

Considering how far back the rest of the Central Division is, a Round 1 matchup between the Wild and Blues looks like a given. What isn't finalized, though, is who would host Game 1.

Only one point separates the third-place Wild from No. 2 St. Louis, and the Wild has a game in hand. Most of its remaining schedule is also at home, where the team has thrived, while the Blues are predominantly on the road. But St. Louis is on its best tear of the season, having won nine in a row. The Blues also face only two playoff-bound teams; three of the Wild's opponents are currently in a playoff position.

"We're pretty comfortable playing either place and come playoff time, you're going to have to win on the road as well," Spurgeon said. "Obviously, we have great fans here and that'd be ideal to start at home. But if that's not what happens, that's not going to really faze us."

Kirill Kaprizov has set single-season franchise records for goals (43) and points (93), while Mats Zuccarello is the assists leader (52).

But the Wild has never had a top-10 scorer nor a 100-point player, two feats within reach for Kaprizov.

"I don't know," Kaprizov said in English about possibly getting to 100 points. "We'll see. Maybe."

Kevin Fiala is also on the brink of becoming the Wild's third 30-goal scorer. He's at a career-high 29 and was named the NHL's second star of the week after racking up five goals and five assists through his last four games.

March 31 was the last time the Wild had everyone available.

Matt Dumba, Jordan Greenway, Tyson Jost and Jon Merrill have been out with injury, and the team placed Marcus Foligno on the COVID list on Monday. Although the Wild has still been picking up points, its depth is best when the group is at full strength.

The power play continues to be erratic, and the 0-for-5 display Sunday in the 5-4 overtime win vs. the Sharks was a microcosm of what's gone wrong: passed-up shots, poor handoffs and a lack of simplicity.

At one point, coach Dean Evason even benched Kaprizov, Zuccarello and Ryan Hartman to send a message. Evason said the line was accountable for its performance, with Zuccarello initiating a conversation, but the power play still hasn't consistently delivered.

Ever since Marc-Andre Fleury debuted after a trade from the Blackhawks on March 21, the Wild has evenly split games between both of its goaltenders. Bbut it's unclear if this pattern will stretch into the playoffs.

Perhaps the team's strategy will take shape these last two weeks, an opportunity for Fleury and Cam Talbot to fine-tune ahead of a potential Game 1 start. In the meantime, if the rotation does continue, Talbot's turn is up next against the Canadiens.