The Minnesota Wild host the Nashville Predators tonight for a huge Central Divison matchup. Here's everything you need to know before puck drop.
ST. PAUL - With just two games left until the All-Star break, the Wild host the Nashville Predators tonight for a Central Division matchup with a lot on the line.
The Wild (21-21-5) have won four of their last five games and are riding a three-game win streak. The Predators (25-21-1) are 5-5-0 in their last ten games but are 7-2-1 in their last ten road games.
Only four points separate these two teams in the standings. With the Predators holding onto the last playoff spot in the Western Conference, a lot is on the line tonight.
The Predators, on the other hand, have lost three of their last four games but have made some lineup changes ahead of tonight's game in hopes of providing some secondary scoring.
This morning Wild head coach and former Predators head coach John Hynes said he understands that Ryan O'Reilly's line has carried this Predators team a lot and knows it will be a big focus tonight to try and shut them down.
"I think you don’t want to give their power play a lot of opportunities. It’s a dangerous group. Obviously, O’Reilly’s line’s been a driver for them. The three of those guys are playing really well. They’re a good team. They’re going to be a challenge for us."
For the Wild, no real new changes have been made. Filip Gustavsson will start again as Marc-Andre Fleury likely remains out until after the All-Star Break with an upper-body injury. Juuse Saros will start for the Predators. Saros gave up four goals on 15 shots back in November to the Wild and was pulled in that game.
Wild Projected Lines
Kaprizov - Rossi - Zuccarello
Foligno - Eriksson Ek - Boldy
Johansson - Hartman - Maroon
Duhaime - Lucchini - Gaudreau
Defense Pairs:
Brodin - Faber
Middleton - Mermis
Goligoski - Bogosian
Starting Goaltender: Gustavsson
Scratched: F Adam Raska, D Jon Merrill
Predators Projected Lines
Filip Forsberg - Ryan O'Reilly - Gustav Nyquist
Yakov Trenin - Colton Sissons - Denis Gurianov
Tommy Novak - Cody Glass - Luke Evangelista
Cole Smith - Michael McCarron - Kiefer Sherwood
Defense Pairs:
Roman Josi - Dante Fabbro
Jeremy Lauzon - Alexandre Carrier
Ryan McDonagh - Luke Schenn
Starting Goaltender: Juuse Saros
Scratched: F Philip Tomasino, D Tyson Barrie