ST. PAUL, Minn. _ How many points the Wild remain out of a playoff spot won't start to shrink if another number doesn't begin to grow.
And that's the team's goal production.
After scoring just three times last weekend in back-to-back games, the Wild came up empty handed Monday _ getting blanked 1-0 by the Predators in front of an announced18,833 at Xcel Energy Center to stay two points shy of the Avalanche for the second wild-card berth in the Western Conference with five games to go and having played once more than Colorado.
Nashville goalie Juuse Saros was the latest to stymie the Wild, turning aside 29 shots for his third shutout of the season to help the Predators clinch a playoff invite.
But some of the Wild's offensive woes were self-inflicted, with players repeatedly missing the net on shots from glorious angles.
Another gaffe in the attacking zone led to the Predators' lone goal, which came short-handed.
Winger Kevin Fiala's pass to the middle was picked off by winger Viktor Arvidsson, and he found center Ryan Johansen for a wrist shot that sailed by goalie Devan Dubnyk just 4 minutes, 32 seconds into the first period.
It was only the third goal given up by the Wild's power play this season.
The Wild, however, had plenty of opportunities to overcome the mistake.
Soon after that goal, the team crashed the net and the ensuing scrum sparked a tussle between rookie Jordan Greenway and veteran Brian Boyle _ Greenway's first career NHL fight.
On a Predators power play later in the period, center Eric Fehr had a look in-tight but sent the puck wide.
Winger Jason Zucker's wraparound attempt stayed out, and so did a wind-up by rookie Luke Kunin on a 2-on-1 rush; his shot went off the post.
Kunin had a do-over, and this time he missed the net with the shot.
In the second, the Wild continued to apply pressure to no avail.
Greenway was stopped twice at the near post by Saros, and the netminder also kicked out a pad on a Ryan Donato attempt _ this after Donato ripped the puck over the net from right in front of the crease.
The Wild got closer to scoring in the third, with center Victor Rask's redirect and follow through pushing the puck to the goal line _ enough to merit video review. But it was ultimately determined the puck didn't slide into the net.
On their third and final power play, the Wild didn't register a shot. The unit went 0-for-3, while the Predators went 0-for-3. Dubnyk totaled 18 saves. He was on the bench for an extra attacker late in the third when the Wild had one more near-goal, a shot off the post by Donato.
Overall, this was eighth time the Wild have been shut out this season. It's scored more than two goals only seven times in its last 19 games _ struggles that have come mostly on home ice. The team has gone nine periods at home without burying an even-strength goal.
Over its last 13 contests in St. Paul, the Wild are 2-8-4.
The team was missing leading scorer Zach Parise, who sat out a second straight game with a lower-body injury. But the Wild has time this week to get healthier. They aren't back in action until Friday when it returns to the road for a two-game road trip through Vegas and Arizona, a lull in the schedule in which they could also fall further behind the Avalanche.
