Wild players expect playoff-like intensity, atmosphere Tuesday vs Nashville

With three points separating five teams vying for two Western Conference wildcard spots, games among the teams – like Tuesday’s clash between the Wild and Nashville in St Paul – take on massive significance.

Click the video box on this page to watch Kevin Fiala, Eric Staal, Jordan Greenway, Luke Kunin, Alex Stalock and interim head coach Dean Evason preview the Wild’s pivotal game against Nashville

The Wild are catching the Predators playing on back-to-back nights. They arrive in town fresh off taking an 8-3 thumping from the Edmonton Oilers in Nashville on Monday night.

The Wild lost last time out, falling 4-2 to Washington on Sunday night, but have still won five of their last seven games to get themselves within a single point of the second wildcard spot – currently held by Nashville.

The Wild’s surge has coincided with a personal rally by Kevin Fiala. He enters Tuesday’s games having scored nine points in the Wild’s prior four games – including one goal in each. He has 11 goals in his last 14 games and already has a career-high for points (49).

Tuesday night’s game will be the fifth start in a row for Alex Stalock, who has clearly surpassed Devan Dubnyk as the Wild’s primary goaltender. Stalock’s 35 appearances this season (33 starts, 18-10-4, 2.64GAA) far surpass his career-high of 28 set in his 2017-18 season with the Wild.