NHL scores 2017: Devan Dubnyk is letting the Wild down

It’s a terrible time for the Minnesota Wild to go cold. Once the hottest team in the league, the Wild are facing a very rare cold streak. Thanks to their 5-4 loss on Sunday, they’re winless in their last five games and 2-8 in the month of March.

In reality, the streak hasn’t done much to their playoff chances. The Wild are safe and will be playoff bound, unless the unthinkable happens and they lose their last 11 games of the season. It does screw around with their matchup a little, as dropping to the second seed in the Central means they’d face the third team in their division.

What’s maybe the most concerning, however, is how potential Vezina Trophy nominee Devan Dubnyk has fared. The 30-year-old started four of the five losses for the Wild, with an equally abysmal .877 save percentage to match. The Wild had the tools to win Sunday’s game against the Jets, with a 48-21 shot advantage, but were let down by Dubnyk as he allowed four goals in the game’s opening 25 minutes.

And it’s opened the door for the Blackhawks, who’ve won five straight opposite the Wild’s own streak to recapture the Central Division crown with a seven-point lead.

The Wild will likely enter the playoffs with lofty expectations considering their success in the regular season. Should they want to meet those expectations, Dubnyk and Minnesota’s goaltending core will need to tighten up with tougher competition on the horizon.

Penguins 4, Panthers 0
Blue Jackets 4, Devils 1
Jets 5, Wild 4
Blackhawks 6, Avalanche 3
Flyers 4, Hurricanes 3 (OT)
Canadiens 4, Senators 1
Flames 5, Kings 2

1. The Columbus Blue Jackets are officially playoff bound!

It finally happened. With a 4-1 win over the Devils, the Blue Jackets clinched themselves a playoff spot and reached the 100-point threshold for the first time in franchise history.

We’ll just slide the Jack Adams trophy right on over to John Tortorella now.

2. Sidney Crosby really doesn’t like being upstaged

Connor McDavid’s going to have to work a bit harder if he wants to pry the scoring title out of Crosby’s hands. The Penguins captain had a natural hat trick — the 10th of his career — in Pittsburgh’s 4-0 win over Florida.

Crosby is the first NHL player this season to hit the 40-goal mark, and he’ll likely hold that crown this season as well. Remember when at the start of last season he was in a slump? Neither do we.

3. Hope is fading for the Kings

With a 5-2 loss in Calgary, Los Angeles sits six points out of a playoff spot with 11 games to go. There’s still time for a comeback, but there’s a real upset brewing should the Kings not make the playoffs. In fact, this would be the second time in three years the Kings have missed the postseason after winning the Stanley Cup twice.

It brings up an interesting question: is change coming for the Kings? With Jeff Carter’s scoring being the only thing keeping them afloat, is Darryl Sutter’s job in jeopardy? After seasons of success, losing might not sit well with Kings’ management. Talk about real potential for an interesting offseason out west.

The Flyers are trying to keep hope alive for a playoff spot, and Brayden Schenn’s overtime winner has given them another day of living.

The Canadiens won a really important game on Sunday, putting more distance between themselves and the Senators at the top of the Atlantic.