Wild Game Day number 68 Wild Record (43-18-6 92 pts) Road Record (20-10-5)
Opponent: Washington Capitals (44-17-7 94 pts) Home Record (27-6-1)
Site: Verizon Center, Washington, DC
Time: 6:00PM CT
TV: Fox Sports North (FSN)
Last Season Results: 2/11 Capitals 4 @ Wild 3 2/26 Wild 2 @ Capitals 3
The best in the East hosting the best in the West tonight in DC. A matchup of arguably the two biggest question mark teams entering the playoffs as well. Both teams are coached by tremendous hockey minds, with great track records of success, but that success has been limited to the regular season for both Barry Trotz and Bruce Boudreau.
The matchup is also coming at a time when both teams have hit a bump in their roads for the first time all season. The Capitals have dropped four in a row and are 5-6-1 since mid February, while the Wild have lost four of their last six and are 6-6-0 in their last 12.
Now on a positive note the Wild have played very well in their last two games with the exception of the most critical position on the ice, the goaltender. Friday's Wild victory in Florida should never have been as close as it was and Sunday the Wild outplayed the Blackhawks from the outset, but could not overcome the two early Blackhawk goals in their 4-2 loss.
If Boudreau's team can bring that effort consistently their will be many happy nights moving forward. The line of Eric Staal, Nino Niederreiter, and Charlie Coyle has become a major force for the Wild to go along with the Koivu, Granlund, Zucker line that has been going all season long.
For the Capitals, they like the Wild have a very balanced attack and all four lines contribute. The big difference of course is Alex Ovechkin, the NHL's most dynamic goal scorer, but AO is in the midst of his longest goal scoring drought of his career, now at 10 games.
Newest Capital, Kevin Shattenkirk will be serving his second game of his two game suspension for his charge against the King's Kevin Gravel on Saturday night. Nate Schmidt will be in the Capitals lineup in Shattenkirk's place.
The Wild have recalled Tyler Graovac, in place of Martin Hanzal, who is still ill and back in Minnesota. Jordan Schroed played in Hanzal's place on Sunday in Chicago, and played very well. Does he stay in the lineup along with Graovac, while Boudreau sends Ryan White to the press box for the night after his quit on the 3rd Blackhawk goal Sunday?
Again as we all know regular season games are just that, regular season games, 1 of 82. It is a race for playoffs and seeding. Both the Wild and Capitals, want to silence the critics a bit though as both teams have their proverbial black clouds of playoff failure hanging over their heads. So with every chink in the armor being magnified now and scrutinized from every angle. Neither team wants to have anything in the backs of their minds as they gear up for what they both hope to be long playoff runs, where hopefully they meet again in late May.
It's Always Hockey Day in the State of Hockey!
Let's Play Hockey!
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