Wild Game Day number 20 Wild Record (11-5-3 25 pts) Home Record (8-1-0)
Opponent: Vancouver Canucks (8-8-6 22 pts) Road Record (5-4-3)
Site: Xcel Energy Center, St Paul, Minnesota
Time: 6:00PM CT
TV: Fox Sports North (FSN)
Last Season Results: 2/1 Wild 4 @ Canucks 2 2/9 Canucks 3 @ Wild 5 2/16 Wild 2 @ Canucks 3
Tonight the Wild look to build on Saturday's 4-0 home win against the Predators when they faceoff against the Canucks in the first of 3 games in 4 days at the X. Note the start time for this evenings game is 6:00PM CT as we all kick off the Thanksgiving weekend.
The Canucks have been sputtering of late going 2-6-2 in their last 10 games and only 1 win in their last 6 after a 7-1-4 start. On the road they are 1-4-2 in November after a 4-0-1 October.
Vancouver was a surprise playoff team a year ago under first year coach Willie Desjardins who has the team playing a much more inspired game. The leadership is still coming from the Sedin twins and Alex Burrows. Radim Vrbata was out with a groin injury but he returned to the Canuck lineup on Saturday and will be in the lineup tonight. The Sedins are off to great starts with Daniel leading the Canucks with 10 goals and 23 points and Henrik right behind with 7 goals and 21 points.
Jake Virtanen and Jared McCann, two 19 year olds, have provided some quickness and youthful inspiration as they look to be the face of the Canucks moving forward. Both Virtanen and McCann were 1st round picks in the 2014 draft and both have not looked out of place thus far.
The Wild will be without Zach Parise for at least the next 3 games along with Marco Scandella and Justin Fontaine. All are skating and getting closer to returning. Kurtis Gabriel has once again been recalled from Iowa.
The Canucks will be without forward Brandon Sutter out with an abdominal injury and defenseman Ben Hutton who is out due to a lower body injury.
Thomas Vanek has 6 points in the 7 games that Zach Parise has been out and is creating opportunities almost every shift it seems. He is looking more and more like the player the Wild thought that they were getting when they signed him in the summer of 2014. The Koivu, Neiderreiter Zucker line has been the most consistent line all season, but they are getting a much more balanced attack from Vanek, Granlund, Coyle and lately Haula. Now if Pominville could get the monkey off his back.
Let's Play Hockey!