The Minnesota Wild (17-18-4) face the Dallas Stars (23-11-5) tonight for a second time in three days. The Wild lost 4-0 to the Stars in St. Paul on Monday night and are looking to return home for a three-game homestand with a win.
There are two major storylines to watch tonight. Most importantly, top goalie prospect Jesper Wallstedt is making his NHL debut for the Wild, who have lost five of their past six games and are looking for a spark. Wallstedt has a .917 save percentage and two shutouts in 20 games with the Iowa Wild this season.
“I don't think it can be any better, get to play a great team on the road,” Wallstedt told the media Wednesday. “It's always fun to have the home fans against you. I kind of like when they're booing me. I hope they do that tonight.”
The other storyline is special teams. The Wild have allowed 10 special teams goals (six power play and four shorthanded) between their first two contests against the Stars this season. The Wild have been outscored a combined 12-3 and are hoping to turn the table tonight in the third and final game of the season series.
Both Marcus Johansson and Marcus Foligno are game-time decisions, according to The Athletic's Joe Smith, and Alex Goligoski returns to the lineup for Daemon Hunt, who presumably will be scratched unless both Johansson and Foligno sit. If one of them can play, Nic Petan will likely draw into the lineup.
Wild projected lines
Boldy — Eriksson Ek — Zuccarello
Johansson — Rossi — Hartman
Foligno — Gaudreau — Maroon
Duhaime — Dewar — Raska
Defensive pairs:
Middleton — Faber
Goligoski — Bogosian
Merrill — Mermis
Projected starter: Wallstedt
Injuries: Kaprizov, Spurgeon, Brodin, Gustavsson and Lettieri
Stars projected lines
Jason Robertson — Roope Hintz — Joe Pavelski
Mason Marchment — Matt Duchene — Tyler Seguin
Jamie Benn — Wyatt Johnson — Evgenii Dadonov
Radek Faska — Sam Steel — Craig Smith
Defensive pairs:
Thomas Harley — Joel Hanley
Ryan Suter — Nils Lundkvist
Esa Lindell — Jani Hakanpaa
Projected starter: Scott Wedgewood
Injuries: Jake Oettinger and Miro Heiskanen