First of many 'biggest games' looms for Wild on Saturday

ST. PAUL -- It's nothing new for the Wild, but it's going to bear repeating many, many times between now and the first week of April: Saturday's game is the most important of the season.
With the ever-tightening Western Conference standings getting more and more snug by the day, a showdown with the Anaheim Ducks looms large on the schedule.

Entering play Friday, the Dallas Stars own the top wild card spot in the West with 70 points. Minnesota has the second wild card, two points back. The Ducks, Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings are all within five points of the Stars as well.
None of that takes into account the Calgary Flames and San Jose Sharks, owners of the second and third-place spots in the Pacific Division, who also fit into that mix.
The St. Louis Blues, third in the Central Division, are also within striking distance at 72 points. That's eight teams battling for five playoff spots all within seven points of each other in the standings.
It makes games like Saturday's all the more important.
"It's crazy, it's nuts and that's just the way it's going to be," said Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk. "You can't let [losing one game] bother you because you're not going to win every single game between now and the end of the year. If you drop one and another team wins, that's going to happen. You just gotta control what you can and that starts tomorrow for us."

The game Saturday will also decide the fate of the Wild's crucial five-game homestand. Minnesota is 2-1-1 on it currently, with the contest against the Ducks marking the final game on home ice before a three-game road trip to New York for games against the Islanders, Devils and Rangers next week.
"It's big. Obviously it's against a team that we have to keep putting below us in the standings," said Wild forward Marcus Foligno. "This is a chance to redeem ourselves after a tough game last night. We are looking forward to it. We want to go on the road on a positive note, too, so it's a big game for us."

Seeler adjusting to NHL

Two games into his NHL career, the speed of the game is starting to slow down for rookie defenseman Nick Seeler.
Seeler hasn't found the scoresheet yet, but that's not really what's expected of him. He has been reliable defensively and saw a two-minute increase in his ice time from his debut to Thursday's game against the Capitals.
"It's been a great experience," Seeler said. "I think me and Nate Prosser] are working well together. He's been a great support [defenseman]."
Playing with Prosser has been helpful for Seeler, as it has for Gustav Olofsson and Mike Reilly. All three have
[raved
about Prosser's ability to play a smart, simple game and how it's made things easier for them.
Wild coach Bruce Boudreau commended Seeler's simple game following his debut on Tuesday against the Rangers.
"He's a seasoned veteran," Seeler said of Prosser. "He's been around quite a long time and you can pick his brain and learn a lot from that guy. He's been super supportive of me and letting me know if I can do something different. You know what you're going to get every night from him."

Kaprizov scores Olympic hat trick

Wild prospect Kirill Kaprizov scored three goals in an 8-2 victory for the Olympic Athletes from Russia against Slovenia.
The Russians, who lost 3-2 to Slovakia in their Olympic opener earlier in the week, rebounded in a big way on Friday, scoring four times in the second period and twice on the power play.
Kaprizov scored once in the second and two times in the third to complete the hat trick.
The Russians will face the United States in a critical game in Group B on Saturday. Both teams, as well as Slovenia and Slovakia -- who also go head-to-head on Saturday -- have won once and lost once in the tournament. The U.S. currently leads the group because its loss came in overtime to Slovenia.
Related:
- Wild's home point streak ends in loss to Capitals - Postgame Hat Trick: Capitals 5, Wild 2