Wild Game Day number 12 Wild Record (5-4-2 12 pts) Home Record (3-2-1)
Opponent: Chicago Blackhawks (6-5-2 14 pts) Road Record (2-3-1)
Site: Xcel Energy Center, St Paul, Minnesota
Time: 7:00PM CT
TV: Fox Sports North (FSN)
Last season results: 1/15 Wild 3 @ Blackhawks 2 2/8 Blackhawks 4 @ Wild 3 (OT) 2/21 Blackhawks 3 @ Wild 5 3/12 Wild 2 @ Blackhawks 4
Last result: 10/12 Wild 5 @ Blackhawks 2
The six game Wild home stand wraps up tonight with "the biggest game of the year" as Bruce Boudreau called it yesterday after practice. Chicago is no doubt, the Wild's biggest rival, after dispatching them three times in recent years from the playoffs, and edging them for first place in the Central Division last season.
The Wild took the first matchup with the Hawks 5-2 in Chicago in early October. That game proved to be costly for the Wild as they lost three forwards Charlie Coyle, Nino Niederreiter, and Marcus Foligno to injury during the game and were already without Mikael Granlund and Zach Parise heading into the contest.
Just over three weeks later and the Wild have three of the five forwards back with just Coyle (leg) and Parise (back) still out long term. The injuries have opened the door for Wild prospect, Luke Kunin, to grasp a position in the lineup. Kunin has taken full advantage of his opportunity and continues to get more comfortable with his expanding role with each game.
Chicago comes to town off their 3-0 shutout win over Philadelphia on Wednesday night, following a three game skid that saw them drop road games 4-2 in Vegas and 6-3 in Colorado sandwiched around a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Predators.
With both teams just a game over .500 and with two recent first round playoff exits fresh in their memories, they are each trying to establish that consistent winning formula.
Both the Wild and Blackhawks made significant off season moves with each teams' ownership and management not accepting of anything less than a strong season and a long playoff run in 2018.
On Thursday all eyes were on Matt Dumba, and he delivered his best performance of the season to date. Tonight will be another game where those very same eyes will be squarely focused on #24 once again, to see how he follows up that performance against the Wild's biggest rival.
Those eyes should also be focused on Devan Dubnyk who has looked average at best in every game this season. The franchise goalie has been a shell of his former self letting in some very soft goals along the way.
In the other crease will be Corey Crawford who is sporting a 6-4-0 record, with a very impressive 1.91 GAA and a .941 save percentage and coming off that 3-0 shutout win over the Flyers.
Kyle Quincey will be back in the lineup tonight after what Boudreau confirmed it was a minor injury that kept him sidelined the last two games. Gustav Olofsson performed well in Quincey's absence giving BB more confidence that he has a capable defenseman to increase the competition for ice time on the Wild blueline. Wild projected lines: Granlund Koivu Zucker Niederreiter Staal Kunin Foligno Eriksson Ek Stewart Ennis Cullen Winnik
Suter Spurgeon Brodin Dumba Reilly Quincey
Dubnyk Stalock
Prayers and best wishes to former NHL referee, Kerry Fraser, as he battles a rare chronic blood disorder, and inoperable form of cancer #SU2C.
It's Always Hockey Day in The State of Hockey!