The Minnesota Wild (16-17-4) are aiming to end their four-game losing streak tonight against the Blue Jackets (13-19-8) in Columbus inside Nationwide Arena.
The Wild fell 5-4 in overtime to the Blue Jackets — 4-3-3 in their past 10 games — in their first meeting on Oct. 21.
Here's what you need to know:
• Both teams are injured: The Wild are without injured forwards Kirill Kaprizov, Marcus Foligno and Vinni Lettieri, defensemen Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin and goalie Filip Gustavsson. On the other side, the Jackets are without injured forwards Patrik Laine, Boone Jenner and Sean Kuraly and defensemen Zach Werenski and Nick Blankenburg.
• Mats Zuccarello is returning from an upper-body injury that sidelined him the past nine contests. The 36-year-old is having another productive season and led the Wild with 28 points in 28 games before getting injured.
It’s been evident that the Wild have missed his playmaking and passing ability and vision in those nine games. Zuccarello will be on the top line alongside Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi.
• Marc-Andre Fleury, who remains one win away from tying Patrick Roy for second all-time in victories at 551, is starting a fourth consecutive game.
The Wild have lost the past three games with Fleury in net, but it hasn't been his fault. He has allowed eight goals on 8.3 expected, according to Natural Stat Trick, and six of those eight goals against have come from high-danger shots. In other words, Fleury has done his job in goal.
• Adam Raska is making his Wild debut. The Wild acquired the 22-year-old winger from the San Jose Sharks in the Calen Addison trade in November.
The Wild recalled Raska and reassigned Sammy Walker to the Iowa Wild on Friday. Raska played eight games with the Sharks (zero points); five games in 2021-22 and three games in 2022-23. The physical winger has played 20 games in AHL Iowa this season, where he recorded a goal and 61 penalty minutes.
Wild projected lines
Boldy — Rossi — Zuccarello
Johansson — Eriksson Ek — Hartman
Petan — Gaudreau — Maroon
Duhaime — Dewar — Raska
Defensive pairs:
Middleton — Faber
Goligoski — Bogosian
Merrill — Mermis
Projected starter: Fleury
Blue Jackets projected lines
Johnny Gaudreau — Adam Fantilli — Justin Danforth
Yegor Chinakhov — Cole Sillinger — Kirill Marchenko
Kent Johnson — Jack Roslovic — Emil Bemstrom
Alexandre Texier — Dmitri Voronkov — Mathieu Olivier
Defensive pairs:
Damon Severson — Adam Boqvist
Ivan Provorov — David Jiricek
Jake Bean — Erik Gudbranson
Projected starter: Daniil Tarasov