Wild Vs. Predators: Nashville Scores Four Straight, Beats Minnesota 5-4

The Minnesota Wild have fallen a long way from the top of the standings, but they're not out of things yet. We're only at the midway point, and they remain second within their division and No. 8 within the conference, trailing by only a few points overall when it all comes down to it. They were sitting at the very top with the most points in the NHL when they went on two extended losing streaks, one of which they'd just broken before the All-Star Game.

They've had seven days to reflect on the fact that they're winners in their last two outings, and will look to keep that run going when they return home to host the Nashville Predators on Tuesday. Unfortunately for Minnesota, the Predators are in their own playoff battle, and have won all four of their last contests. It won't be an easy one, but the series is tied at 1-1 on the season, with Nashville winning the most recent outing 2-1 on Dec. 28. The home team has won both games, so Minnesota has the edge in that regard.

While the Wild have won two in a row, they've only won three games in their last ten, so they need to get back on the horse as soon as possible. A win over Nashville would certainly be great for them. They've also got two important games coming up in regards to the standings, against Dallas and Colorado, so that makes this one all the more important.

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