With the Wild suffering a heavy 6-2 loss to the Florida Panthers, the Arizona Coyotes now have a golden opportunity in their hunt for the playoffs.
Prior to the Wild’s loss, the Minnesota club had a 33-27-8 record that saw them hold the final wildcard spot with 74 points in 68 games.
The Coyotes meanwhile had a 33-29-5 record, good for 71 points in 67 games, sitting one spot below the Wild and already eclipsing last season’s total of 70 with 15 games still to be played.
A win in their game advantage would’ve still seen the Coyotes on the outside looking in, with just one point separating them from the Wild.