The Minnesota Wild are currently at the top of a tight Western Conference Wild Card race (funny, eh?), but have up-and-down all season. Currently, Minnesota is on a three-game losing streak, which follows a five-game winning streak.
The Wild have a fairly secure grip on a playoff spot right now: four points ahead of the ninth-place Phoenix Coyotes with a game in hand and three points ahead of the Dallas Stars, who currently own the second Wild Card spot.
Down the stretch, it appears as if the Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets will fall out of the race, and the Wild, Stars and Coyotes will be competing for two spots. One of them, unfortunately, will have to be the odd team out.
Minnesota made a little bit of noise at the trade deadline, acquiring Matt Moulson from the Buffalo Sabres and Ilya Bryzgalov from the Edmonton Oilers. Both additions should help the Wild, as Moulson addresses the team's scoring issues and Bryzgalov fills a void left in net by Josh Harding, who will likely miss the remainder of the regular season due to complications from multiple sclerosis.
Minnesota has a tough remaining schedule, having to face the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues two more times each as well as the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins one more time each.
With the Stars playing great hockey lately, Minnesota is in danger of relinquishing its top Wild Card spot and having to face the team with the best record in the Western Conference in the first round of the playoffs. Of course, both Wild Card teams will face similar foes, as the top of the Western Conference is very even.
Dallas may pass up Minnesota, but the Wild should be able to hold off the Coyotes and secure the final postseason berth in the Western Conference.
With the final Wild Card spot, the Wild will face the St. Louis Blues in the first round of the playoffs, who will have the West's best record. This would be an incredible matchup, as the Wild and Blues always provide for exciting and intense hockey every time they clash, and the playoff stage should only increase the drama.
Minnesota always plays well against St. Louis and may be able to push the Blues to five or six games, but the Wild's season will unfortunately come to an end in the first round against their division rival.