Wild lose to Utah, remain near top of standings with Winnipeg next

Two weeks ago the Minnesota Wild were 18-4-4 and at the top of the NHL standings. Oh, how times have changed. 

With injuries taking a toll, the Wild has lost five of its last seven games, including a 2-1 struggle against Utah Friday night in St. Paul, to fall to 20-9-4, three points behind the Central Division-leading Winnipeg Jets. 

As disappointing as the last two weeks have been for the Wild, it goes to show how dominant they were for six-plus weeks to begin the season. With 44 points, Minnesota is just three points out of the division lead and the top of the NHL, and only four teams have more points than Minnesota entering play Saturday. 

On Friday night, the backbreaker came midway through the third period when a penalty on Jared Spurgeon put Utah on a power play and they didn't waste time taking a 2-1 lead. 

Just four seconds into the power play, Utah won a faceoff, slid a pass across the ice and Dylan Guenther somehow snuck a shot between Marc-Andre Fleury's legs for his second goal of the night. 

The Wild came close to tying the game a couple of times, but Karel Vejmelka was a brick wall for Utah. The 28-year-old goalie stopped 28 of 29 shots, including 11 when the Wild were on the power play. 

Bottom line: special teams killed Minnesota. 

Not only did the penalty kill, which has been brutally bad of late, give up the go-ahead goal,, but Minnesota's power play was 0 for 5 on the night.  

So it goes when the Wild is playing without so many key players (Joel Eriksson Ek, Jakub Lauko, Jake Middleton, etc.). 

No west for the weary Wild as they're back on the ice at 7 p.m. CT Saturday to play on the road against Winnipeg.