Coming off their 5-4 win over the Blue Jackets on Tuesday night the Wild head to Detroit to face the Red Wings tonight. Three points out of the final playoff position with 20 games remaining and the Wild in a stretch where they can make up ground beginning in Detroit.

There is still a lot to play for as the team looks to make it back into the playoffs for possibly one final shot for the captain, Mikko Koivu.

Koivu is likely to be playing his final games at least for the Wild and given the fact that he did not waive his no trade clause at the deadline, most likely his NHL career. He would like more than anything to have his final games, if these are to be them, to be meaningful contests played following game #82.

The captain did his part on Tuesday, scoring his first goal since November 9th and then adding his another in the 5-4 victory.

There are jobs at stake and future positions to be filled, so what takes place between now and the end of the regular season is all about winning and giving everything that this team has to make the playoffs.

Many thought that the timing was odd for Guerin to make the coaching change, but I believe he calculated it very well seeing that the team was playing better and that it is about making the playoffs. Guerin had the foresight to see that once the deadline had passed he had very little leverage with player movement, and he did not want that combined with a lame duck head coach to be any reason at all for a let down on the ice.

Dean Evason is now the new voice calling the shots and implementing the strategy to get this team back into playoff position. Through five games we have seen some things moving in a positive direction and now it is up to the players in the room to make it happen on the ice.

Kevin Fiala continues to impress and Alex Galchenyuk, who is one of those guys playing for a new contract, is elevating his game in all facets. Moving to center gives the Wild potentially another option as they prepare to transition the roster beyond this season.

Tonight is a game the Wild cannot take lightly as they appeared to do the last time the teams met in St. Paul before the All-Star break. You will recall the Wild had to overcome two Red Wing leads in that contest and took control of the game with a 3-goal second period then took the foot off the gas in the third and coasted to the eventual 4-2 victory. If they play like that tonight the result most likely will not be in their favor at Little Caesar's Arena.

Tuesday's homenwin over Columbus was no walk in the park either as they were clearly outplayed badly in the third period and if not for a couple of timely stops by Stalock and the eventual game winner by Fiala they very well may have come out of that game with just one or no points.

Rest assured the Jackets will have that fresh in their minds tomorrow night when the two face off in Columbus, but first things first, gotta get the win in Detroit tonight.

There is no looking ahead, every night is a one game at a time approach and getting two points is mission critical for the Wild.

It's always Hockey Day in The State of Hockey!

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