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Wild Host Younger Hungrier Version of Rangers |
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Wild Game Day number 56
Wild Record (30-19-6 66 pts)
Home Record (19-4-5)
Opponent: New York Rangers (27-24-5 59 pts)
Road Record (9-14-2)
Site: Xcel Energy Center, St.Paul, MN
Time: 7:00PM CT
Last season results:
12/23 Wild 7 @ Rangers 4
3/18 Rangers 3 @ Wild 2
The Rangers are next up for the Wild on the homestand. New York has officially raised the rebuild flag and are actively looking to be sellers as the NHL Trade Deadline approaches. But if the Wild think for a second that they have raised the white flag all they have to do is look at their last game, an impressive 3-1 road win over the Jets on Sunday.
The Rangers have dominated the Wild over the years and have a winning record in St. Paul including their 3-2 victory in the most recent meeting last March. The Rangers like the Wild, the Rangers are a veteran team, but unlike the Wild they are infusing their youth into the lineup despite the fact that they are just 2 points out of the final Eastern Conference wildcard position.
The Wild are coming off two down performances in the first two games of the homestand. Yes they did win 3-0 on Saturday and salvaged a point last Thursday after blowing a 3-0 lead against the 31st place Arizona Coyotes.
If not for Devan Dubnyk in the Chicago game, the result would most likely have been different and we may be talking about the Wild on the outside of the playoff picture instead of holding down the 8th and final position heading into tonight, and St. Louis and Dallas in striking distance.
This Wild team is a crapshoot from night to night which team will show up and for how long. The schedule is going to get tougher from here on out for the Wild and this coaching staff needs to figure out what buttons need to be pressed in order to get the team to perform from period to period first then to establish some consistency from game to game.
Nick Seeler is set to make his NHL debut tonight which will make him the 51st native Minnesotan to appear in an NHL game this season establishing a new highwater mark for the State of Hockey. Seeler is a change of pace for the Wild defense with his size and physical play which should be a welcome addition to an undersized a relatively soft defense corps.
The Wild have been given a golden opportunity to move up and give their playoff hopes a significant boost. What they do with that is up to the guys in the room. Leadership has been questioned for a long time here with this team. The next 2 months will define this group.
Chuck Fletcher has said that he is looking to be active heading up to the deadline, but given the cap situation with the Wild, may tell a different story.
It's always Hockey Day in The State of Hockey!
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Minnesota Wild Blogger • 
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