Tonight the Wild take their new found confidence along with the modest two game win steak to Nashville to face the Predators for the second time on the young season. On opening night the Pedators blitzed the Wild for four third period goals en route to a 5-2 victory at Bridgestone Arena.
The Predators are 4-1-1 at home so far this season and are closing out a three game homestand coming off their most impressive outing of the season, a 6-1 defeat of the Ducks on Tuesday night.
Nashville has controlled the series of late winning the last six meetings.
The Wild will be without Decan Dubnyk tonight as he did not accompany the team to Nashville after suffering an upper body injury on Tuesday when he left the Wild's 3-0 shutout victory over Edmonton, early in the 2nd period. Kaapo Kahkonen has been recalled from Iowa on an emergency basis and will backup Alex Stalock tonight.
Kevin Fiala was placed on IR and will miss tonight's game and Sarurday's home game vs. Los Angeles as well.
Of course when the Wild and Predators play there is the topic of the aforementioned Kevin Fiala along with longtime Wild winger, Mikael Granlund, who were swapped at last year's deadline. A lot has been made of the deal with many in Minnesota not at all happy with the return the Wild have gotten with Fiala.
So let's look at what Granny has done since he arrived in Music City. In 16 games to finish out the 2019 season Granlund scored one goal and added four assists and was a -6. He added one goal and one assist in six playoff games before the Predators were sent home with their first round defeat at the hands of the Stars. Through nine games this season Granlund has just 2 goals and 2 assists. Not exactly light the world on fire results for the more accomplished player.
Fiala has struggled in his short tenure with the Wild as he works to find his way in Bruce Boudreau's system, however the results of the two players are eerily similar. Not quite the ringing endorsement for Granlund being the supposed "best player" in the deal.
Trades are made and we arm chair quarterbacks will always look back and compare and this one will be scrutinized for quite some time moving forward. We will see how it plays out of course however there is the one little detail surrounding Granlund, with that being the expiration of his current contract at season's end. Early return given that fact alone swings the pendulum in the favor of Minnesota.
Jordan Greenway who also left Tuesday's game did travel with the team to Nashville and will be a game time decision.
Let's see which Wild team shows up in Nashville the one we saw the first seven games or the confident group that has shown up the last two?
It's always Hockey Day in the State of Hockey!