ST. PAUL, Minn. _ More adversity didn't come as a surprise.
After all, this is the 2017-18 version of the Wild _ a team beleaguered by bouts of injury, inconsistency and inexperience.
But after losing winger Zach Parise to a fractured sternum, it got worse for the Wild on Tuesday.
The team is on the brink of elimination after the Jets secured a 2-0 win in Game 4 in front of 19,277 at Xcel Energy Center to go up 3-1 in the first-round, best-of-seven series.
Winnipeg center Mark Scheifele was responsible for both goals, the first a top-shelf finish off a Kyle Connor feed with just 28 seconds remaining in the first period _ one of a few what-ifs on the night for the Wild.
Earlier in the period, while the Wild were on the power play, center Eric Staal took a cross-check to the head from Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey in the middle of the slot.
Staal fell to the ice and struggled to get to his feet before skating gingerly to the bench. No penalty was called; if it had, the Wild would have earned a glorious five-on-three opportunity.
Instead, the Wild failed to capitalize on the remainder of the power play and about only a minute-and-a-half after the Jets got back to full strength, Scheifele scored _ a tough ending to an otherwise solid start for the Wild.
There were chances in the second period to erase the deficit; soon after the puck dropped, defenseman Matt Dumba's wind-up off a two-on-one rush was kept out of the net by Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck's glove.
Later, Morrissey _ still in the game after no discipline for his stick work on Staal _ knocked the puck off winger Nino Niederreiter's stick before Niederreiter could get a shot off after getting a jump in the Jets' zone.
Wild players tried to cut to the middle, and some attempts were fruitful. Staal, who remained in the game, got a shot off in-tight, and winger Jason Zucker drew a penalty after he approached the crease.
But the frequency wasn't as high as it was in the 6-2 win in Game 3.
Even on that ensuing power play for the Wild, the team didn't generate as many looks down low _ slinging the puck around the perimeter.
Overall, the Wild blanked on two chances, while the Jets were 0-for-1 with the man advantage.
Although the deficit remained at one entering the third period, the Wild couldn't solve Hellebuyck. He ended up with 30 saves for his first career postseason shutout in a terrific bounce-back performance after he was pulled in Game 3.
His counterpart, Devan Dubnyk, was also solid _ keeping the deficit at one to pave the way for a Wild comeback that fell just short. Scheifele added an empty-netter with 11 seconds left. Dubnyk totaled 26 saves.
Maybe the Wild's rally would have been successful with Parise in the mix. Before getting crunched between Scheifele and defenseman Ben Chiarot near the end of Game 3, he had scored in each contest _ an impact the Wild certainly could have used Tuesday. He's out week-to-week, though, a timeline that makes it entirely possible he's played his last hockey this season.
Parise's absence is the latest hit to a Wild team that's absorbed blows at regular intervals since it assembled in training camp _ from injuries to key players to the growing pains from their substitutes.
The group found a way to tackle those challenges, resiliency that landed it in the playoffs.
Persevering now, however, will be the Wild's most difficult test.
Because if they don't, their season will be over.
