Ottawa @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 14, 2019 ) Minnesota 2, Ottawa 0

The Minnesota Wild still find themselves buried in the cellar of the Central Division, but are starting to find more answers heading into a matchup against the visiting Ottawa Senators on Friday afternoon. The Wild have earned at least a point in seven consecutive games, losing three times in overtime during the stretch, after completing a 1-0-2 road trip with a 3-2 victory at New Jersey on Tuesday.

Minnesota captain Mikko Koivu is set to play his 1,000th NHL game Friday and the 36-year-old center needs one point to reach 700 for his career after being kept off the scoresheet in each of the last three contests. Zach Parise and Victor Rask scored while Koivu had an assist as the Wild won 2-0 at Ottawa on Oct. 14 to extend their winning streak to seven against the Senators, who have lost two in a row (with just one goal combined) after a promising 5-1-0 run. Ottawa allowed 10 shots through the first two periods and led early in the third before giving up a pair of quick goals and falling 2-1 against Atlantic Division-leading Boston on Wednesday. “I thought we worked really hard,” Senators coach D.J. Smith told reporters. “We made a couple mistakes and they ended up in our net. Some real good players of theirs scored and we just didn’t score on our chances, but I don’t know if we can play much better through two periods.”

TV: 4 p.m. ET, RDS2, TSN5 (Ottawa), FS North, FS Wisconsin (Minnesota)

ABOUT THE SENATORS (11-13-1): Defenseman Thomas Chabot had the only goal for Ottawa on Wednesday and owns five (two goals) of his 15 points in the last six games to tie forward Anthony Duclair for second on the team. Versatile forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau leads the way with 13 goals and 19 points - none in the last two games - while tied for third in the league with a plus-17 rating. Anders Nilsson (7-5-1, 2.58 goals-against average, .927 save percentage) has allowed seven goals in his last four starts and could play Friday after Craig Anderson was held out against Boston for precautionary reasons.

ABOUT THE WILD (10-11-4): Veteran center Eric Staal leads a balanced offense with 17 points and is slated to play his 1,200th NHL game Friday, boasting 424 goals to go along with 567 assists in his career. Defenseman Ryan Suter has recorded seven of his 16 points in the past five contests to tie forward Jason Zucker for second on the team while Parise has six of his team-high 10 goals in the last seven outings. Kaapo Kahkonen earned the win in his first NHL start Tuesday with 32 saves, but veteran Devan Dubnyk (4-8-2, .893 SP) was reportedly back at practice Thursday after missing five games to deal with a family issue.

OVERTIME

1. Ottawa’s rookie D Erik Brannstrom returned to the lineup Wednesday after missing four games with a hand injury.

2. Minnesota F Ryan Donato has a goal and an assist in the last two contests after managing three total points in the first 21 games of the season.

3. The Senators are 22-for-23 on the penalty kill in the last eight games while the Wild allowed a power-play goal in each of the past four contests.

PREDICTION: Wild 3, Senators 1