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Wild Look to Rebound: Playoff Tuneup Continues In LA |
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Wild Game Day number 81
Wild Record (44-26-10 98 pts)
Road Record (17-20-2)
Opponent: Los Angeles Kings (44-28-8 96 pts)
Home Record Record (22-14-3)
Site: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Time: 9:30PM CT
TV: Fox Sports North (FSN)
Last season results:
10/18 Kings 3 @ Wild 6
1/7 Wild 3 @ Kings 4(OT)
2/27 Kings 4 @ Wild 5
Last result:
12/5 Wild 2 @Kings 5
3/19 Kings 4 @ Wild 3 (OT)
Last night the Wild played a solid road game for the first two periods, but in the end Anaheim wanted it more and showed that with a dominant 3rd period. The Ducks controlled the majority of the play in the final period and shut down the neutral zone, not allowing the Wild any room to operate.
Anaheim wanted the game more and they were rewarded with a late Ondrej Kase goal off the rebound of Josh Manson's point shot. The Pacific Division is tight with all three California teams separated by just 2 points with each having 2 games remaining. Home ice advantage is still up for grabs and any one of the three could get it. The Wild however, play a significant role in that as they play Los Angeles tonight and San Jose to wrap up the season.
The Kings are two points back of San Jose for second in the division, and with the Ducks win last night they now trail the Ducks by a point. Los Angeles does hold the tie-breaker with 42 ROW, but need to win in order for that to matter.
In two games without Ryan Suter, the Wild have adopted a simple game approach with pucks going to the net from every angle and not a whole lot of over passing of the puck. This formula, is what the Wild must continue to utilize, and to be honest they didn't need to wait for Suter to get hurt before adopting this game plan.
Speaking of Suter, he is scheduled to have surgery today on his injured ankle. According to the Athletic's Michael Russo, X-rays taken immediately following Suter's injury Saturday, showed the broken fibula. But following the MRI on Monday which revealed that Suter broke his Talus (the bone located between the heel and the fibula and tibia) as well.
A rare injury that requires specialized surgery and once completed Suter will not be able to put weight on the ankle for four months. So those that know Ryan Suter, and how this man operates even off the ice, he is always on the go and doing something.
Suter is a tireless worker and we know that he will do everything in his power to get himself back to 100%, but these next several months are going to be very trying for Ryan, to say the least.
Suter was told that if he played soccer, baseball, or basketball this injury could very well be the end of the line.
Tyler Ennis was the odd man out last night as the forward rotation continues tonight, I would expect it to be either Marcus Foligno or Daniel Winnik that gets the night off tonight. Jordan Greenway should get every opportunity to show what he can do and more importantly work on getting his game going at the NHL level.
With the news that Jared Spurgeon will be ready for the game 1 of the playoffs, the competition for who stays in the Wild lineup on the backend will be the focus over the final two regular season contests.
Nick Seeler has showed that he can play at this level, while bringing a nastiness that is key especially in a playoff series and really magnifies the longer the series goes on. Carson Soucy has been solid in his first two games, despite the fact that he was on the ice for two Ducks goals last night.
Soucy has drawn three penalties and has shown that he can skate and play the game with poise. At 6'5", Soucy is a presence on the Wild blueline and combined with his strong skating ability his long reach is an immediate asset to the Wild blueline.
Alex Stalock will get the nod tonight in goal in what could be his final regular season appearance. Stalock has been a stabilizing factor for the Wild, who have had trouble finding consistency from a back-up to Devan Dubnyk, ever since his arrival back in January 2015.
There is no time to let up and these next two games are playoff tune-ups for the Wild. They need to continue to play the game well and keep their mindset right, as the playoffs are next week, and the will begin on the road. The fact that the Wild opponents are playing for something is a perfect scenario for the Wild to keep their focus and not let down.
Wild projected lines:
Zucker-Staal-Niederreiter
Granlund-Koivu-Parise
Greenway-Cullen-Coyle
Foligno/Ennis-Eriksson Ek-Winnik
Seeler-Dumba
Brodin-Murphy
Soucy-Prosser
Stalock
It's always Hockey Day in The State of Hockey!
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Minnesota Wild Blogger • 
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