The Minnesota Wild (3-5-2) are looking to take a step in the right direction Saturday night at home against the New York Rangers (8-2-0) before heading to the East Coast again for a three-game road trip in New York.
The Wild, who have lost four straight games and six of their past seven, sit seventh in the Central Division with eight points, which is only ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks' who have six points but have a game in hand.
On the other hand, the Rangers enter the game on a six-game winning streak and are third in the NHL with 16 points. But the Wild have a good opportunity in front of them with the Rangers missing some key pieces from their lineup.
Second line center Filip Chytil (injured reserve), star defender Adam Fox (long-term injured reserve) and one of the league's best goalies in Igor Shesterkin are all out with injuries. Veteran winger Barclay Goodrow is also out.
The Wild are tied for fifth in the league with 25 five-on-five goals compared to the Rangers' 13, which ranks 26th. However, the Rangers have the league's third best power play at 32.4 percent. The New Jersey Devils (17) are the only team that has scored more than the Rangers (12) on the man advantage.
So the Wild, who have the league's worst penalty kill at 63.6 percent, must stay out of the box and need to have a fast start.
"I think we're going to start right," head coach Dean Evason told the media after practice Friday.
The Wild have made a number of changes ahead of tonight's game, including their special teams units and line combinations.
"Yeah, that's the thought process," Evason said of whether the changes raise the compete level. "But when you're not having success, then you can't just continually stay with what you're doing.
“You've got to try to do something to shake things up. We're not scoring goals. We're not defending. So you got to get some different looks."
The first power play unit features five forwards: Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek, Marcus Johansson and Marco Rossi while the second unit features Mats Zuccarello, Ryan Hartman, Calen Addison, Vinni Lettieri and either Pat Maroon and Marcus Foligno, who took turns for the final spot.
As for lineup changes, Daemon Hunt, the Wild's 21-year-old defensive prospect, will play his third NHL game with Jon Merrill scratched, and the top line remains separated after the change took place in the loss to the Devils Thursday.
Rossi and Boldy were elevated to the first line, replacing Hartman and Zuccarello, who will play on the second line with Johansson. Eriksson Ek will center the third line with Foligno and Maroon.
All data via Natural Stat Trick
Wild projected lines
Kaprizov — Rossi — Boldy
Johansson — Hartman — Zuccarello
Foligno — Eriksson Ek — Maroon
Duhaime — Dewar — Lettieri
Defensive pairs:
Brodin — Faber
Middleton — Addison
Hunt — Mermis
Projected starter: Gustavsson
Injured: Spurgeon, Goligoski and Gaudreau; Merrill scratched
Rangers projected lines
Chris Kreider — Mika Zibanejad — Kaapo Kakko
Artemi Panarin — Vincent Trocheck — Alexis Lafreniere
Will Cuylle — Jonny Brodzinski — Blake Wheeler
Jimmy Vesey — Nick Bonino — Tyler Pitlick
Defensive pairs:
K'Andre Miller — Jacob Trouba
Ryan Lindgren — Braden Schneider
Erik Gustafsson — Zac Jones
Projected starter: Jonathan Quick
Injured: Fox, Chytil and Shesterkin; Goodrow out