The Morning Take: Wild Risk It All By Pulling Goalie in OT — 'We’re Here to Win, Right?'

Had the Predators scored, it would have forfeited the automatic point gained in the tie at the end of regulation play.

The Minnesota Wild are six points back of the Vegas Golden Knights for the final wild card spot in the West. But don't tell head coach John Hynes that the playoffs are out of reach — even if it's looking that way.

On Sunday, the Wild were in the midst of overtime against the Nashville Predators, who hold the first wild card spot, when Hynes made a curious move: he pulled the goalie.

According to NHL Rule 84.2: "However, should that team lose the game during the time in which the goalkeeper has been removed, it would forfeit the automatic point gained in the tie at the end of regulation play …"

In other words, had the Predators scored with the Wild's net empty, the Wild would have come away with nothing — putting even more distance between them and the playoffs. Instead, the risk paid off, with Minnesota's Matthew Boldy scoring with the extra attacker on the ice, giving the Wild a much-needed two points in the standings.

“We need two points,” Hynes told reporters. “We feel like we were organized with it, the players knew what was going on, and I think it's when you put the four guys we have on the ice that we believe that it gives us the best chance to score a goal and get two points, and that's what we're here for.

“It's not something that you do all the time, but I think in our position, we want to be aggressive, we want to get two points, we want to continue to fight. We believe in our group and continue to fight to play meaningful games down the stretch and let the chips fall where they may. So, I think in the situation we're in, one point, no point, it's not going to do us any good. We got to get two points.”

With the two points, the Wild are now only six points back of the Golden Knights — and nine points back of the Predators.

Keep that in mind if Minnesota manages to sneak in.

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