Adam Beckman gets his chance tonight and moving right into a top six role. He will slot in with Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy on the second line.
Beckman should be afforded extended time to show he belongs. In previous stints with the Wild Beckman has shown his ability and willingness to shoot the puck. That should be a welcomed sight for the Wild as they need a spark. Beckman is a skill player and has the tools to produce. Let's see how playing with Boldy and Ek works out for the young winger.
Alex Goligoski will once again be in the lineup in place of Calen Addison which continues to be a bit of a head scratcher. We know that Addison is a liability 5-on-5 but no one can argue his presence on the Wild powerplay makes the man advantage unit much more productive.
Filip Gustavsson will be in the Wild net, but the main focus for this team now has to be on how to getbtheir goaltenders more to work with.
Dallas is the Central Division leaders for a reason and they will present a huge challenge for the Wild.
Points are very difficult to come by as the final third of the schedule carries on, so needless to say two points tonight would be enormous for the Wild. They are in the midst of their seven game homestand and need to chalk up as many points as possible after dropping three of the first four.
It's always Hockey Day in The State of Hockey!