Wild's seven-game homestand could decide direction for rest of the season

DALLAS — Will the Wild ever gain any separation in this neck-and-neck playoff race?

What approach might General Manager Bill Guerin take at the trade deadline?

The answers to those questions should become clearer during a seven-game homestand that the Wild kick off on Thursday against the Golden Knights at Xcel Energy Center.

"This point in the season you kind of make or break it," Alex Goligoski said. "We've been great at home. Now we're getting into more division games, so it's really going to start ramping up. We're definitely aware of that. We'll be ready for it."

This stint in St. Paul is tied for the longest of the season.

Back in November and December, the Wild went 5-2 during seven straight games at home, a stretch that officially turned the page on their early-season woes and was the beginning of an impressive 15-6 run.

But this upcoming agenda is challenging: Five opponents are currently playoff teams (Vegas, New Jersey, Colorado, Dallas and Los Angeles), and the other two are battling for seeding (Florida and Nashville). The Panthers and Predators have also already defeated the Wild this season.

If the Wild take advantage of home ice, perhaps this seven-game segment is their next significant catapult. And if they don't capitalize, their playoff outlook could be extremely different than it is now.

Either outcome has the chance to influence Guerin's thought process ahead of the trade deadline, which is March 3.

"Definitely defining where we sit in the standings and just where we sit as a team confidence-wise," Jordan Greenway said. "This is going to be a huge focus for us. We have no time to ease into things."

Jonas Brodin didn't play Wednesday at Dallas due to a lower-body injury he suffered Monday in the 3-2 loss at Arizona.

The defenseman will be reevaluated when the Wild are back in Minnesota.

Goligoski took Brodin's spot alongside Matt Dumba, his first game since Jan. 21 at Florida. Overall, the veteran defenseman has been a healthy scratch for 12 of the past 16 games.

"It is what it is," Goligoski said. "You've got to focus on what you can control and go out there and work and make sure you're ready when your opportunity does come. Everyone wants to play. I'm no different."

Mason Shaw has been in a similar position, idling as the extra forward for nine of the past 11.

"He's frustrated, too," coach Dean Evason said. "He wants to play. He's hungry. We know he can play. That's the positive thing. The hard part is that we have to make a decision on who it is, and it just happens to be him again here [vs. the Stars].

"We hope we can get him in at some point here because he's a good player."

Ryan Hartman centering Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello wasn't the only reunion the Wild had against the Stars: The "GREEF" line was also reinstated, with Marcus Foligno joining Greenway and Joel Eriksson Ek.

"When things aren't going how you expect, maybe it's good to switch it up, try and get some different things going, this and that," Greenway said. "We tried. We kind of shuffled the lines a little bit, but we kind of came back to where we are. We're ready. We're always happy to get back together."

Calen Addison's assist on Monday was his 22nd of the season, a single-season franchise record among Wild rookie defensemen.