The Minnesota Wild are comfortably in a playoff spot, but still in a race for the Western Conference’s first wild-card berth as they visit the New York Islanders on Friday night.
The Wild (41-28-7, 89 points) are battling the St. Louis Blues for the top wild-card spot. The Wild and Blues boasted identical records prior to St. Louis’ home game Thursday night against Pittsburgh.
Minnesota has lost three straight and five of its last six after Wednesday’s 5-4 overtime road loss to the New York Rangers. At least the Wild earned a point.
“All points are good,” said Minnesota forward Marcus Johansson. “You know, we need as many as we can get. I think it’s very frustrating the way we’re battling and big (penalty) kills at the end and all that, but still want the two points. So it’s frustrating.”
Johansson had a goal and two assists and defenseman Brock Faber and Gustav Nyquist had a goal and an assist each. Marco Rossi also scored and Filip Gustavsson made 34 saves on Wednesday.
“This was going to be a playoff-style road trip,” said Wild coach John Hynes. “So, to get points on the trip is important, but we got to find a way to get two on Friday.”
Rossi’s goal 22 seconds into the third period tied the game 4-4.
“I feel like we, other than a few shifts, I felt like they had some O-zone time on us,” Johansson said. “I think we played all right. We created enough to win. I feel like a couple of bad breaks on some of those goals, but what are you going to do?”
The Islanders (32-32-10, 74 points) have lost six straight and their slim playoff hopes are fading after Tuesday’s 4-1 home loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. They must climb over four teams and make up at least five points in their final eight games.
New York will play Friday without forward Anthony Duclair, who has decided to step away from the team after coach Patrick Roy harshly criticized Duclair’s play after he was minus-1 in 12:15 of ice time.
“He was god-awful,” Roy said in his postgame availability Tuesday. “He had a bad game. That’s why I didn’t play him a lot. He is lucky to be in the lineup. Sorry if I lose it on him right now, but that’s just how I feel.
“He’s not skating, he’s not competing, he’s not moving his feet,” Roy added. “He’s not playing up to what we expect from him. … I think it’s an effort thing.”
Duclair was not on the ice for Thursday morning’s practice. Afterward, Roy said he and Duclair had a positive conversation and Duclair said he should step away from the team. Roy granted the request.
Duclair, 29, has seven goals and 11 points and is minus-15 in 44 games this season after signing a four-year, $14 million free agent contract last July. That’s the worst points-per-game rate and lowest plus/minus rating of his career.
In 607 games with the Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, San Jose Sharks, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets, Chicago Blackhawks, Arizona Coyotes and New York Rangers, Duclair owns 314 points (153 goals, 161 assists).
