Central Division provides Wild little help during its bye week

ST. PAUL -- The Minnesota Wild got back to work on Friday evening, hitting the ice after four days away from the ice.
The timing couldn't have been any better.
Stuffed smack dab in the middle of an air-tight Western Conference, Minnesota can't afford to sit out any more days without an opportunity to gain ground in the standings.

The Central Division alone went a combined 8-0-1 in the days between Minnesota's last game Sunday against the Vancouver Canucks, and it's next one Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, a game that will cap Hockey Day Minnesota festivities.

"I did a lot of swearing at home," Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said as a smile crept across his face. "I just wish they would have done it earlier than instead of giving me hope and waiting till the last minute to tie it up and win it in overtime all the time."
Here's where things stand for the Wild as it prepares to get back into game action:
Minnesota entered the day Friday tied with the Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings for the second and final wild card position in the Western Conference. The Avs maintain the spot because they have two games in hand on Minnesota and one on L.A., which plays Anaheim late on Friday night.
The Dallas Stars, who occupy the top wild-card position, are three points clear of the Wild, but Minnesota has one game in hand.
The Wild, which had pulled as close as two points of the third position in the Central Division last Sunday, now trails the St. Louis Blues by six points -- but Minnesota has two games in hand.
Minnesota has 36 games remaining, 18 on the road and 18 at home, beginning Saturday against Tampa Bay and Monday, when it hosts the Ottawa Senators.
"You always pay attention, it's important, not that you can control it at all. I think we just have to expect that to happen," said Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk. "We're going to need to earn our way there and win the games we're gonna have a chance to play and that's all it comes down to. Too many good teams to sit and hope that other teams lose, we just have to get our points when we can."
Of course, this is nothing new. The 10 points separating first place from last in the Central Division is the smallest such gap of any of the four divisions.
"That's kind of the way it's been going. We have been fortunately playing well as well," Dubnyk said. "There's too many games going on with too many good teams. To expect we're going to get help every night, it's just not going to happen."

Rau -- another one -- could debut Saturday

The Wild recalled Eden Prairie native and former Golden Gopher Kyle Rau from Iowa on Friday afternoon and he could make his debut with his hometown team against the Lightning.
If he does, he would be the second Rau to play for the Wild; his older brother Chad played in nine games for Minnesota during the 2011-12 season, scoring in his NHL debut.
Ironically, Chad's League debut came on Hockey Day Minnesota, a game in which he scored the game-winning goal. Kyle's Wild debut, if it comes on Saturday, would also be on Hockey Day Minnesota.
"It's cool. Obviously growing up I've played on Hockey Day Minnesota a couple times. It's fun to have another one here," Kyle Rau said. "[Chad is] fired up for me. I guess it's kind of ironic to say we both played for the Wild on Hockey Day Minnesota."
If Kyle plays, he and Chad will be the first pair of brothers in franchise history to both play in a regular season game for the Wild.
Boudreau said he likes the speed threat Rau brings, especially against a fast and skilled Lightning team.
"[He] gives us a little different dimension," Boudreau said. "Tampa's a really fast team. Kyle's a fast skater, hard worker. So it just gives you options again."
Rau has been effective in Iowa this season, scoring 11 goals and 21 points in 36 games. He has two goals and one assist in 33 career NHL games, all with the Florida Panthers, the team that selected him in the third round of the 2011 NHL Draft.

Niederreiter out through All-Star break

Boudreau said on Sunday that he hopes Niederreiter would skate with the team on Friday and potentially return to game action next week.
Unfortunately for the Wild, however, Boudreau said Niederreiter sustained a setback with his lower-body injury and will be out through at least the All-Star break, which is next weekend.
"We want to make sure when he does get back he's healthy," Boudreau said.
It's a frustrating development for the Wild and for Niederreiter, who has had bad luck with the injury bug this season. When he's been on the ice, Niederreiter has been effective, scoring 13 goals in 31 games and posting a team-best plus-11.
That's why Boudreau wants there to be no doubt about his health once he returns.
"I think it's really tough when you get injured early in the season," Boudreau said. "Just getting back into the groove of everything and then you try to come back early, may not be the best thing for you and you get hurt again. So this time we're going to wait till he's completely healthy."

Dubnyk a dad again

While some players left town to find a warm beach or visit family during the bye week, Dubnyk and his wife Jenn added a third son, Dawson, to their family.
Dawson Paul was born Monday afternoon and weighed in at 9 lbs, 13 oz. Dubnyk said both mom and baby are happy and healthy.
"We had the whole week," Dubnyk said. "Flew by, but it was nice to just take it easy and spend some time with him. Not that he wants to hang out with me anyway, except for short periods of time."