"The NHL All-Star break featured sand and sun for some Wild players, wine country or casino visits for others ... and that was apparent for the first few minutes of the team's practice on Monday.

"It's weird getting on the ice after being five days completely off," forward Cal Clutterbuck said. "You feel like you're a first-timer again."

But the energy and the execution quickly returned during a crisp, up-tempo practice in anticipation of the soaring Nashville Predators coming to town Tuesday. The Wild hopes to build off the momentum it created with a modest two-game winning streak that put the team just barely inside the playoff bubble before the break.

"Reenergize the body and the mind, and I think the guys are pretty excited to get back," center Kyle Brodziak said. "This is crunch time starting now. You could feel it on the ice. We know that right now is the playoff push.""