Wild Game Day number 40 Wild Record (20-16-3 43 pts) Home Record (12-4-2)
Opponent: Florida Panthers (17-16-5 39 pts) Road Record (7-10-2)
Site: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN
Time: 7:00PM CT
TV: Fox Sports North (FSN)
Last season results: 12/13 Panthers 1 @ Wild 5 3/10 Wild 7 @ Panthers 4
Last result: 12/22 Wild 2 @ Panthers 4
Zach Parise makes his season debut as the Wild open 2018 versus the Florida Panthers tonight in St. Paul. The Panthers have won five straight including a 4-2 win over the Wild just before Christmas.
In 10 prior trips to the State of Hockey, the Panthers have not fared very well, winning just once with that lone victory coming back in 2010. In order for that trend to continue the Wild will need to bring the kind of effort that we have seen from them the last three games.
Florida has a lot of skill up front with Barkov (11G, 33Pts), Huberdeau (13G, 36Pts), Trocheck 15G, 36Pts), and Minnesota native Nick Bjugstad 2G, 5A in the last 9 games) returning to form. Aaron Ekblad the 2014 1st overall pick, and 2015 rookie of the year has become one of the league's best defensemen. At 6'4" with a big shot and exceptional skating ability Ekblad is the leader of this Panther team and at 21 years of age he is just scratching the surface of his true potential.
With Zach Parise's return, the Wild placed Zach Mitchell on waivers. If Mitchell clears waivers he will be assigned to Iowa.
The Wild have played very inspired hockey over the last three games with two wins to show for it. They dropped their last game on Saturday 3-0 in Nashville, but the score was not indicative of the game they played.
Yes they did not necessarily deserve to win the game but certainly played well enough to have come away with at least a point. The penalties took their toll on the Wild as they gave the Predators, five powerplay opportunities, ultimately resulting in PK Subban's PP goal, which sealed the Nashville victory.
Not to make excuses but not all of those penalties were warranted and quite frankly Subban could have been called for a couple minors himself that may have changed the course of the game. Those are all part of the game for certain, and they have a way of evening out as well. Again not trying to make excuses but just stating that the loss in Nashville was still a step in a positive direction for the Wild.
Now that Parise is back, Nino Niederreiter is the lone injured Wild player and if all goes well he may be in the lineup Thursday.
Parise skated on a line with Charlie Coyle and Chris Stewart yesterday at practice. The other forward lines looked like this: Eriksson Ek Koivu Granlund Ennis Staal Zucker Foligno Cullen Winnik
Suter Spurgeon Brodin Dumba Reilly Prosser
Dubnyk Stalock
The calendar page has turned to 2018 and even though the Wild have not officially hit their mid-way point in the schedule, the second half is now in full swing for the team. They have played three of their most complete games since the Christmas break and have ratcheted up the intensity level along the way.
It's always Hockey Day in The State of Hockey!
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