The Wild won't just close out 2019 Tuesday by hosting the Maple Leafs at Xcel Energy Center on New Year's Eve.
It'll also wrap up the first half of its season.
"You sure know where you stand at the exact halfway point, what you have to do," coach Bruce Boudreau said. "I think I know what we have to do. I think the [points] number we have to reach. I let the guys know today that it's not easy. A lot of people are saying, 'We're doing good right now.' We're still out of a playoff position, so it's one of these things where you have to make hay when you're at home.
"It doesn't get any easier. Islanders were a great test because when we're playing good, we play like that. So Toronto plays like that, as well. It'll be an interesting game."
This four-game homestand started out with a letdown, a 3-1 loss to the Islanders on Sunday. But the Wild could be boosted against Toronto by the return of captain Mikko Koivu.
After practice Monday, Boudreau called Koivu a game-time decision Tuesday but later in the day, the team activated Koivu from injured reserve and assigned center Nico Sturm to the American Hockey League.
Koivu has missed the past 12 games with a lower-body injury.
"It felt pretty good," Koivu said after Monday's session. "Just in general, it feels good to be out there and actually be in a situation and battle for the pucks and stuff like that. I'm happy with how it went."
