The Minnesota Wild faceoff against the Winnipeg Jets tonight in the second half of a home-and-home.
The Jets beat the Wild in overtime on Saturday night, a heartbreaker of sorts, including the game winning goal scored by Andrew Ladd. This was the first game I wasn’t able to watch all year, but from the replay I saw, it appeared as if the goal was as glitchy as some of the goals scored against me on NHL 15. When things aren’t going your way, things really don’t go your way.
The Wild now have a chance to redeem themselves tonight in a rematch with the Jets, this time in their house. In a game that should bring out a lot of frustration and gritty play on both sides, I think it’s safe to say that a true rivalry is being born right before us. In the last 9 matchups against the Jets, 8 of those meetings were decided by one goal. Both matchups this season were decided in overtime.
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Although I can’t say what worked well and what wasn’t working well in the Saturday’s matchup, I will say that it is nice seeing some of our big players on the scoresheet. Thomas Vanek has recorded 4 points (3 goals, 1 assist) in his last 5 games, and Jason Pominville has been finding the back of the net as well. I will say, it was nice seeing Pominville get a “clean” goal on Saturday and not a wonky deflection goal. That can go a long ways for his confidence moving forward.
Brett Sutter and Stu Bickel will be in the lineup tonight, so will Tyler Graovac who will be making his NHL debut. The message is clear, the Wild are bringing in some big boys to do some dirty work. After seeing Mikael Granlund sidelined with a wrist injury and Jonas Brodin out, coach Mike Yeo will have to reshuffle the lines once again.
Michael Russo, of the Star Tribune, reported that Graovac will center the third line with Matt Cooke and Justin Fontaine. This line will be very fun to watch and I can’t wait to see Cooke and “Grao” knock the Jets around. Fontaine, in my opinion, has played very well this year, he is always battling and working hard, just hasn’t rewarded with much success yet. That can change.
Dec 20, 2014; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild forward Mikko Koivu (9) during a time out during the second period against the Nashville Predators at Xcel Energy Center. The Predators won 6-5 over the Wild in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports
Here are the four lines the Wild will roll with tonight:
Parise – Koivu – Pominville
Niederreiter – Coyle – Vanek
Cooke – Graovac – Fontaine
Sutter – Brodziak – Carter
Here are the tentative defensive pairings:
Suter – Spurgeon
Scandella – Folin
Prosser – Bickel
Michael Russo also reported that Erik Haula will be scratched again. He was scratched in the game against Philadelphia last Tuesday but played poorly as he returned to the ice on Saturday. A big message here considering the Granlund injury. Final notes. Jason Zucker and Niklas Backstrom are still ill and likely will be out tonight and in the Wild’s next game in Columbus.
Here are my three bold predictions for tonight’s game:
1. Charlie Coyle scores his 4th goal of the year. Coyle is another player who just can’t seem to catch a break. I like what he and Vanek could do together and I ultimately think that this line combination will work very well. Look for some juicy Vanek passes and some superb screening by El Nino himself. I think Coyle has a big game tonight.
2. Every time I predict Zach Parise to have a big game, he seems to answer the call. I like him with Mikko Koivu, a lot more experience than Granlund, not to mention Koivu’s faceoff numbers which will benefit Parise tremendously. I like him for at least a goal and a helper tonight.
3. Because my friend, and fellow Gone Puck Wild writer, Alex Trembley is celebrating a birthday today, I am granting him a spot in bold prediction’s list. He tweeted at me earlier today saying that “Grao” was going to record his first NHL point in his debut tonight. I like his chances. Limited ice time likely, but he will make the most of every second he is out there and I think Yeo will let him play more time in the third period than the first two periods. Whether it’s a helper or a goal, I am excited to see what he can do. I think he stays with the team for an extended period of time.
Wild 5, Jets 3