NEW YORK – As the logjam in the Western Conference became increasingly congested in recent weeks, the Wild loitered a bit above the fray, surveying the stop-and-go cluster behind a cushion that wasn't exactly comfortable but was still noticeable.
But with only one win in its past six games, its buffer has busted.
A 2-1 loss to the Islanders on Sunday at Barclays Center combined with a Blues win earlier in the day dropped the Wild from the first wild-card seed to the second, its first fall since it slid from the third slot in the Central Division after its first game back from an eight-day layoff.
"At some point, we've got to get off the win-one-lose-one wagon or it's just going to be — now that everybody's caught us — it's going to be the same thing," coach Bruce Boudreau said. "So we have to put a run together. St. Louis has started. Chicago has started. L.A.'s started. All these teams have put runs together. We have to do it, or we will be golfing early."
St. Louis, which was previously reeling as a bottom-feeder, has scaled the standings. The Blues and Wild both have 59 points, but St. Louis has played two fewer games.
"You start seeing teams creeping up," goalie Devan Dubnyk said. "You see St. Louis pop into a playoff spot, and you know it's real and everybody's there."
Not since the Wild ranked among NHL leaders after a steady run at the end of October and into November has it been in a cushy position. But winger Zach Parise has noticed the team's urgency wane at times.
"Sometimes it does feel like it's missing," he said. "But now it's either you play that way or we're going to be passed by quite a few teams. So we gotta start playing like we want to make the playoffs."
