The Minnesota Wild stumbled out of the post-All Star gate on Tuesday but now have to regroup back on home ice.
Minnesota hosts the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night in a game that was postponed from the initial mid-December date due to the Hurricanes having six players in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol at the time.
The matchup with the Metropolitan Division leaders is the first of a quick two-game home stand for the Wild, who host the Detroit Red Wings on Monday.
Hear from #mnwild Head Coach Dean Evason after practice today! pic.twitter.com/NfYu70kad6
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) February 11, 2022
Minnesota, which had a six-game winning streak and 10-game point streaks both snapped at Winnipeg, is 10-1-1 over its last dozen home games with the lone loss being the Winter Classic matchup against St. Louis at Target Field on New Year’s Day.
Minnesota has outscored its opponents 56-25 in its current 11-game point streak at the Xcel Energy Center.
Saturday’s matchup also marks the start of a frantic stretch for the Wild in which the team will play 40 games over the final 77 days of the regular season. Cam Talbot, who is coming off a shutout of Chicago in his last start, will be in net.
A #mnwild fan-favorite, Nino Niederreiter said Minnesota and it’s fanbase will always have a special place in his heart pic.twitter.com/wnRUG90PCs
— Jessi Pierce (@jessi_pierce) February 12, 2022
The game also marks the return of former Wild forward Nino Neiderreiter and is the first matchup between the two teams since Dec. 7, 2020. Neiderreiter was traded for Victor Rask in January 2019 and he has 58 goals and 115 points during his time with the Hurricanes.
Injury/suspension notes
Minnesota defenseman Matt Dumba returns to the lineup after missing the past few games with an upper-body injury.. Forward Nick Bjugstad remains sidelined. He has missed the past 11 games with an upper-body injury.
Forward Marcus Foligno will also be out of the lineup as Saturday marks the start of the two-game suspension he received as a fallout from Tuesday’s loss in Winnipeg.
Betting odds
The Wild vs. Jets odds on WynnBET has Carolina favored by 1.5 goals in at the Xcel Energy Center The Hurricanes are also the slight favorite on the moneyline -115. Minnesota is the underdog at -105. The over/under for total goals is six.
Upcoming schedule
Monday, Feb. 14: Detroit, 7 p.m. CST
Wednesday, Feb 16: @Winnipeg, 6 p.m. CST
Friday, Feb. 18: Florida, 7 p.m. CST