Postgame Hat Trick: Hurricanes 5, Wild 1

Wild.com's Dan Myers gives three takeaways from the Wild's 5-1 loss against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena in Raleigh on Saturday night:

1. It was a road split for the Wild.
Following a 2-1 win in Washington on Friday, Minnesota was unable to finish off the weekend sweep against Carolina on Saturday. Considering the quality of the opponents, it's not a bad result. But when taken in conjunction with the time of the season and the Wild's position in the wild card standings, Minnesota obviously would have liked more.
The Wild was in position through two periods, trailing by just one after 40 minutes. But the rested Hurricanes pulled away late with three goals in the final period to provide the final margin.
The result, combined with other action around the League on Saturday, leaves Minnesota one point back of Colorado for the second wild card position in the West and tied with Arizona on the outside looking in.
Chicago, Edmonton and Vancouver (pending the Canucks' result versus Calgary) were all tied with 74 points, six back of the Avs and five of the Wild and Coyotes.
2. It was a battle of the Staal brothers.
On this night, both members of the Staal clan scored goals. It was Jordan getting Carolina on the board at 3:06, deflecting Justin Faulk's point shot with his boot, giving the Canes a 1-0 lead.
After Brett Pesce scored two minutes later to make it 2-0, Eric Staal was the man who got the Wild back within one when he bounced a shot off goaltender Petr Mrazek and into the goal for his sixth power-play goal of the season.

Jordan added an assist on Carolina's third goal of the night early in the third period.
3. Zach Parise did not play.
The veteran forward was ruled out before the game because of a lower-body injury. Parise took a rogue knee from Washington's Tom Wilson late in Friday's win at Washington, but returned to assist on Luke Kunin's game-winning goal on his next shift.
Still, Parise was slow to the bench in the immediate aftermath of the collision.
With Parise out, Pontus Aberg jumped back in the lineup. Minnesota is scheduled to practice in St. Paul on Sunday before hosting the Nashville Predators at Xcel Energy Center on Monday in yet another crucial contest. Certainly, the Wild hopes its leading scorer will be back in the lineup for that one.