ST. PAUL, Minn. _ Unlikely success _ and failure _ has been a theme this season for the Wild.
While the team has struggled with lesser opponents and favorable conditions, it's somehow thrived against the NHL's best and when adversity has peaked.
And that illogical trend was perhaps at its most prominent Sunday.
After arriving back in the Twin Cities on the brink of morning following a late-night victory in Calgary over the Flames on Saturday, the Wild earned a much-deserved point in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Predators in front of 18,885 at Xcel Energy Center that snapped a five-game win streak tied for the longest this season but still kept the team in the second wild card position in the Western Conference with 71 points _ tied with the Dallas Stars for the first seed.
Predators center Ryan Johansen scored the decisive goal in the fourth round of the shootout after defenseman Ryan Ellis and winger Zach Parise also capitalized to sit even after three, a close and valiant finish for the Wild.
That a strenuous stretch against some of the league's premier talent and amid tough travel is fueling the Wild's most productive performance of the season fits into that bizarre vibe and yet at this point, with only 16 games left on the schedule, it's so quintessentially Wild.
Same with how the group manufactured this latest triumph.
Through the first period, it very much looked like a lineup completing a difficult back-to-back. There wasn't much jump in the Wild's attack, and decision-making wasn't swift.
Amid this, Nashville cashed in for an early lead.
Winger Wayne Simmonds had his attempt blocked by Wild defenseman Anthony Bitetto, but the carom bounced out to winger Nick Bonino for the put back by backup Alex Stalock at 5 minutes, 21 seconds.
But Wild players started to pick up the pace in the second.
Center Eric Staal got behind former teammate Mikael Granlund for a breakaway try that skirted off target.
Winger Kevin Fiala, whom the Wild acquired last Monday from Nashville in exchange for Granlund, was part of a 2-on-1 rush, but his shot was gobbled up by Predators backup Juuse Saros.
Odd-man rushes continued to be doled out by both sides; a Bitetto giveaway at center ice led to a 2-on-0 break for the Predators that was broken up at the last second by a ferocious back check by winger Marcus Foligno.
An ensuing shot block by center Eric Fehr off a Rocco Grimaldi wind-up led to a breakaway for Fehr, and he capitalized _ wiring a shot by Saros' glove at 16:35.
That ignited an even stronger push by the Wild the rest of the period and with 38 seconds left in the frame, defenseman Ryan Suter found winger Jason Zucker for a one-timer in front that sailed in for the 2-1 lead.
Zucker's 17th goal extended his point streak to a season-high five games, while the assist was Suter's third point in the past 24 hours; he scored the game-winner in the 4-2 win over the Flames aside from chipping in an assist.
Staal also continued his season-best point streak, pushing it to six games with the secondary helper on Zucker's goal.
The Predators, rested after not playing since Friday, pressed for the tying goal in the third and they found it late in the third _ a backhander by winger Filip Forsberg off a rebound at 15:41 before Nashville capped off its comeback in extra time.
Stalock posted 41; Saros had 24.
Neither team converted on the power play, with each finishing 0-for-2.
