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Oilers-Wild Preview

Mar 16, 2010 - 4:32 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Edmonton (21-40-7) at Minnesota (33-29-6), 8:00 p.m. EDT

The Minnesota Wild are doing all they can to keep their playoff hopes alive. A visit from the Edmonton Oilers could help their cause.

Trying for a third straight win, the Wild look to continue their home dominance of the lowly Oilers on Tuesday night.

Mikko Koivu had a goal with two assists and Josh Harding made 36 saves in Minnesota's 4-2 home win over St. Louis on Sunday. After losing four in a row, the Wild (33-29-6) have won two straight to remain in the hunt for their first postseason appearance since 2008. Minnesota is 11th in the Western Conference, eight points out of the final playoff spot.

"I'm feeling happy," coach Todd Richards told the Wild's official Web site. "We found a way to win two games in a row, but our focus has to be on our next game. It doesn't matter where we are in the standings or what anybody else is doing. We have to worry about ourselves."

With a visit to playoff contender Nashville on Thursday, Richards hopes his team doesn't look past Edmonton (21-41-7), which has lost 12 in a row at Minnesota since winning 2-1 there on Jan. 16, 2007.

The Wild, who've outscored the Oilers 43-14 during that 12-game home winning streak, have scored seven goals in their last two contests after totaling six during the four-game skid.

Andrew Brunette has helped the turnaround, scoring twice and adding an assist in the last two games. He has two goals and an assist in four games against the Oilers this season.

After making 79 saves in Minnesota's last two wins. Harding could be back in net even if starter Niklas Backstrom returns from a groin injury that's kept him out the last three games.

"We know we have two solid goaltenders, and we know we can rely on them each and every night," Koivu said. "We're trying to make it a little bit easier on them."

Harding, however, is 1-4-1 with a 2.68 goals-against average versus the Oilers and made 14 saves in a 5-2 loss at Edmonton on Oct. 16. Backstrom, meanwhile, is 14-1-1 with four shutouts and a 1.60 GAA against Edmonton in his career.

Robert Nilsson and Aaron Johnson each had a goal and an assist, but Edmonton fell 5-3 at Columbus on Monday for its fourth straight loss.

The Oilers, 1-14-1 away from home since mid-December, have a league-low 49 points and been eliminated from playoff contention.

"We haven't recovered from the loss of certain personnel," coach Pat Quinn said in reference to injuries to stars Ales Hemsky, Sheldon Souray and Nikolai Khabibulin. "We have got ourselves in a mentality that we're poor guys that have had some misfortune that's happened. We're not mentally tough enough to play through those things for long periods of time."

Edmonton's Dustin Penner had a goal Monday and a team-leading 26 for the season, but one in 11 career games at Minnesota.