Wild Clinch 2nd Place in Division
Wild fans can breath a bit easier, the team clinched second place in the Central division last night with a 5-3 win over Carolina. After an awful March, the team seems to be getting its legs again.
It wasn't a good start against the Hurricanes. Goaltender Devan Dubnyk gave up three first-period goals on just six shots, but settled down after that. Nino Niderreiter had two goals for the Wild, who also got goals from Zach Parise, Jordan Schroeder and Charlie Coyle.
The second-place finish means home ice advantage in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Center Eric Staal was honored prior to the game for playing in his 1,000th game.
The Wild finish the season 47-12-2 on home ice and a three-game win streak at Xcel Energy Center. Minnesota wraps up the regular season on the road, traveling to Colorado tomorrow night.