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Minnesota Wild: Top 5 Games to See Live This Season

By Cody Defoe

SAINT PAUL, MN - OCTOBER 8: The outside view of Xcel Energy Center prior to game between the Minnesota Wild and the Columbus Blue Jackets on October 8, 2011 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild won 4-2. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images)
SAINT PAUL, MN - OCTOBER 8: The outside view of Xcel Energy Center prior to game between the Minnesota Wild and the Columbus Blue Jackets on October 8, 2011 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild won 4-2. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – FEBRUARY 25: San Jose Sharks Left Wing Tomas Hertl (48) and Minnesota Wild Center Mikko Koivu (9) face-off during a NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and San Jose Sharks on February 25, 2018 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. The Wild defeated the Sharks 3-2 in overtime.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

December 18, 2018 vs San Jose Sharks

Aside from the John Tavares story into July, the other big story of the summer was what the Ottawa Senators would do with their captain, Erik Karlsson. That decision was made in early September when Karlsson found himself on his way to California.

It will be a long couple month wait to see the Minnesota wild stack up against the San Jose Sharks, but it should be worth it when the Sharks arrive in St.Paul for a pre-Christmas showdown.

Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild /

Minnesota Wild

Erik Karlsson will bring his defensive teammate, Brent Burns, home to Minnesota and a true test for the offensive and defensive abilities of the Minnesota Wild. The excitement from this game should be entirely on the fact of watching 2 of the best offensive defensemen in the league on the same team.

Mathew Dumba and Ryan Suter each put up 50 points last year, but Karlsson and Burns have been the top scoring defensemen in the NHL over the last 2 seasons. Putting them on the same team is a threat to score whenever one of them is on the ice.

The defensive play of the Wild will be on high alert, and the big 2 defensemen of San Jose are not the only 2 to watch out for.

The Sharks still ice a forward lineup led by Joe Pavelski, Tomas Hertl, Logan Couture, and big Joe Thornton. There are plenty of threats to look out for, and plenty of reason to believe this Sharks team could be a deep playoff contender this year.

Martin Jones in net has been one of the better goaltenders in recent years, and is still young enough (28) to be considered as a future top goaltender for many years.

I think it’s a running theme I’ve went for in these top games to see, is the teams expected to be at the top of the NHL when the season ends. I think it’s important to see where the Minnesota Wild stand matched up against these teams, but also fun for fans to see the league’s best if you can only get out to a couple games during the season.

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