The Wild road trip wraps up tonight in St. Louis with a battle for second place on the line with the Blues. Entering the game tonight the Wild lead the Blues by one point 91 for Minnesota to 90 for St. Louis, with the Blues having played one more game.
This series has been nearly all Blues over the last few years with the WIld winning only three times in the last 14 meetings with St. Louis. They have played just once this season and that was the Winter Classic played at frigid Target Field with game time temperatures at -10 (F) and wind chills well into the negative 20s.
You will recall that the Wild had been off for 12 days due to all of the postponements from their opponents being affected by COVID-19. No excuses ever during the NHL schedule as teams often catch others in bad situations throughout the 82-game regualr season. The bigger issue for the Wild is how do they turn the tables on the Blues?
Minnesota is a far different team since the last meeting with St. Louis but until they strat beating the teams they are in direct competition with, the Blues and Predators, nothing else really matters.
Tuesday the Wild played a better 5-on-5 game against the Predators and came out on the short end of the scoreboard. That was due in large part to their inept penalty kill along with the lack of success in the face-off circle.
Face-offs and penalty kill are two of the most important factors for successful playoff runs. That combined with goaltending usually determines who moves on when the real season begins.
The Wild have gotten a couple days off from the tough loss in Nashville and will be fired up to get back at it tonight with eyes on showing St. Louis they are a far different team than the one the Blues have owned lately.
Matt Dumba left the game Tuesday with what appeared to be a significant injury. After further evaluation the prognosis is not nearly as bad as first thought. Matt still will not play tonight and neither Matt Boldy nor Jon Merrill will be in the lineup either.
Both teams know this game is huge in the standings and that they get to meet once again in eight days also in St. Louis.
St. Louis knows what it takes to win the Stanley Cup, the Wild are working into becoming a contender. The process includes learning how to beat the teams that have done it before. That is where this Wild team is currently, and tonight they need to show progress.
It's Always Hockey Day in The State of Hockey!