Jon Merrill makes his return to the Wild lineup tonight after missing the last 10 games. Tyson Jost will return tomorrow night against Seattle.
Cam Talbot gets his second straight start ending the goalie rotation for at least one game. Talbot has earned his way into the Wild crease with his stellar play, having not lost in regulation since March 1st.
Vancouver comes in off their 4-3 shootout loss to Ottawa on Tuesday night. That loss snapped a six game win streak and the Canucks are currently riding a 8 game unbeaten streak in regulation going 6-0-2. Bruce Boudreau has his Canucks in the playoff hunt as they trail Dallas for the final wildcard position by four points with both teams having five games remaining. They also have shot at third in the Pacific Division as the sit five points behind LA with a game in hand.
Tonight will take a much better Wild effort if they are going to gain the two points in the standings. The last two Wild victories were not their best but they did take care of the necessary business.
Tonight will be a tougher test against a very determined and hungry Canucks squad. Wild special teams need to be better and that could be the determining factor in the outcome against the speedy and talented Canucks.
It's always Hockey Day in The State of Hockey!