Wild inch closer to playoff spot

In Columbus, the Minnesota Wild made a another push up the ladder in the Western Conference with a 5-0 shelling of the Blue Jackets.

Alex Stalock made 24 saves to get the shutout.

“It’s amazing. It’s momentum,” Stalock said. “It’s a momentum-type situation, and we’ve been on a roll. We just seem to keep rolling, rolling and going and going.”

The Wild are one point back of the second wild card spot.

The Blue Jackets have spun out and desperately holding on to the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

“We didn’t have the ability to do anything tonight,” Columbus coach John Tortorella said. “Forget offense, defense. That was just a bad game. We haven’t had many of those, but we had one tonight.

“We’re done with it already. The biggest point that puts us behind the eight ball is that we just have no patience right now. There was nothing good about that game.”

They are 1-5-5 in their last 11.

Five different skaters struck for the Wild including Kevin Fiala and Zach Parise who had a goal and assist each.

“We’ve got a lot of depth throughout our lineup,” Minnesota’s Jordan Greenway said. “It’s paying dividends for the team knowing you can rely on all four lines to score when we need it.

“It’s huge, especially in a back-to-back situation. Everyone’s kind of playing the same minutes so we don’t have to rely on our two lines to be out there all the time, for example.”

Joel Eriksson Ek, Jared Spurgeon  and Ryan Hartman  also scored for the WIld.

“The great start really helped because we were just able to roll lines,” Wild coach Dean Evason said. “Our start was key for sure.”

[WATCH: All Wild vs. Blue Jackets highlights]

Joonas Korpisalo made 11 saves in his time on the ice; he surrendered four of the Wild goals.

“We know how we have to play,” the Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski said. “We did it most of the season. We have to get back to it.”

Matiss Kivlenieks made 10 saves in the mop up role.