Wild Game Day number 38 Wild Record (19-15-3 41 pts) Home Record (11-4-2)
Opponent: Nashville Predators (22-9-5 49 pts) Road Record (11-5-3)
Site: Xcel Energy Center, St.Paul, MN
Time: 7:00PM CT
TV: NBC Sports (NBCSN)
Last season results: 12/15 Wild 5 @ Predators 2 12/27 Wild 3 @ Predators 2 1/22 Predators 4 @ Wild 2 2/18 Predators 2 @ Wild 5 4/1 Wild 0 @ Predators 3
Last result: 11/16 Predators 4 @ Wild 6
Looking to build on their 4-2 win over Dallas on Wednesday, the Wild host Nashville in the front end of a home and home with the Predators. This is the second of five meetings between the Wild and Predators, with Minnesota taking the first match-up 6-4 in mid November.
In that first meeting the Wild scored 4 goals in the final 7 minutes of the game to turn a 4-2 deficit into a 6-4 win. You can bet that the Predators are well aware of how they let that one slip away and will be out to avenge that loss with every fiber of their being.
For the Wild, Devan Dubnyk will make his return tonight after missing the last seven games with a lower body injury. Having Dubnyk back is big for the Wild as they face the back to back with Nashville first and foremost, but even bigger is the fact that Stalock proved himself capable of handling the Wild net in Dubnyk's absence.
That creates a healthy competition in the Wild net which will only make Dubnyk a better goalie in the end. That is something that has never been the case in the 3 years that Dubnyk has worn the Wild sweater.
Speaking of getting healthy, Zach Parise played his first game since last April, last night in Iowa. All signs were very good for Parise who played over 15 minutes, contributed an assist on Luke Kunin's goal and was on the ice for another Iowa Wild tally. Parise was recalled and skated this morning with the Wild.
Nino Niederreiter skated today for the first time but will not play this weekend for sure, but his return should come next week. That will give the Wild a healthy lineup for the first time this season.
A healthy lineup will give Boudreau the luxury of holding his players more accountable for their ice time. The internal competition should produce a much better product on the ice for the Wild as they look to make a second half climb up the standings.
Nashville leads the Central Division with 49 points, and are coming off a 2-1 victory over St. Louis on Wednesday night. That victory followed the Predators 3 game losing streak(0-2-1), their longest of the season so far.
The Predators like the Wild have yet to have their full lineup available as Ryan Ellis has not played a game this season, but he is set to practice in full on Monday and his return is only going to make Nashville that much tougher to play against.
Every game is huge from here on out, but these next two with the Predators can really go a long way in getting the Wild on the move toward the top of the leader board. Again standings place will not matter as much as just getting into the playoffs.
Tonight's opponent is the prime example of that statement as they rode the hot regular season finish to just qualify for the playoffs in the 8th seed in the Western Conference a year ago. We all know what followed from there as they went all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, before eventually succumbing to the Penguins.
It's Always Hockey Day in The State of Hockey!
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