Wild Game Day number 63 Wild Record (41-15-6 88 pts) Home Record (22-8-1)
Opponent: San Jose Sharks (38-18-7 83 pts) Road Record (18-11-3)
Site: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN
Time: 5:00PM CT
TV: Fox Sports North (FSN)
Last season results: 12/12 Wild 2 @ Sharks 0 1/23 Wild 3 @ Sharks 4 4/5 Sharks 3 @ Wild 0
Last result: 1/5 Wild 5 @ Sharks 4
Tonight the Wild enter their game with the Sharks looking up at the Blackhawks in the standings for the first time since January 15th. Yes they have three games in hand on Chicago, but the Hawks have ridden a 12-1-0 record since the beginning of February to catch a Wild team that has not lost consecutive games since early November.
Just goes to show us just how good both the Wild and Blackhawks are and how the two appear to be on a collision course for a 2nd round playoff matchup in late April.
A lot needs to be determined before that possibility can occur, but winning the division is going to go a long way to help one of the two teams, with at first a better matchup in round one, and of course home ice advantage.
Tonight the Wild will have their full complement of players as they welcome back to the lineup, Jason Pominville and Zach Parise following their bouts with the mumps. Combined with the new roster additions of Martin Hanzal and Ryan White, Bruce Boudreau will get his first look at his full roster as they host the Pacific Division leading Sharks.
The new look Wild will feature four lines that make them a real force in the West for certain, but now for the first time they will now be viewed as a much bigger and more physical team as well. The new lines will start out like this:
Parise Staal Stewart Granlund Koivu Zucker Niederreiter Hanzal Coyle Pominville Haula White
Nothing is ever etched in stone with any NHL coach and Boudreau is always looking to find the right combinations each and every night to give his team the best chance to win, while making them a very tough team to play against.
The Hanzal Niederreiter Coyle line is one that really jumps out as very intriguing. Of course Hanzal who stands at 6'6" is an imposing force whenever he steps foot on the ice, but being flanked by the 6'3" Charlie Coyle, and the 6'2" Nino Niederreiter, the Wild now pose a different threat to complement their discipline and speed game.
Brent Burns makes his return to St. Paul in the midst of a career season, tied for fourth in league scoring with an amazing 27 goals to go along with 40 assists. It is never easy seeing a former Wild player having such tremendous success without wondering what could be. Well that is all water under the bridge and past news. The point is both the Wild and Burns have moved on and both are experiencing their best seasons in 2016-17.
So the story lines are plentiful for tonight, as well as the subplots. First place, new lines, Burns, full Wild lineup, potential Western Conference Final preview...All on full display at the Xcel tonight. Must see hockey, it just doesn't get any better than this.
It's always Hockey Day in the State of Hockey!
Let's Play Hockey!
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