Winnipeg @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 10, 2019 ) Minnesota 2, Winnipeg 5

The Minnesota Wild have points in 15 of their past 18 games as they continue a steady rise in the Central Division, and now open a stretch of 18 of the next 22 games at home starting Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets. The Wild posted an 8-5 victory Thursday at Arizona to improve to 10-3-3 since Nov. 19, riding the emotional return of goaltender Devan Dubnyk, who had not played since Nov. 16 due to medical issues with his wife.

“I didn’t know we were going to get eight (goals), and I just tried to stay calm,” Dubnyk told reporters after making 35 saves, 16 coming in the first period that ended 1-0 Arizona before the Wild scored four goals in each of the next two periods. “I felt good and comfortable again, so I’m not going to start changing what I was doing.” It’s not been a good week for the Jets, who gave up 10 goals in dropping back-to-back home games to Carolina 6-3 on Tuesday and Chicago 4-1 on Thursday. The Jets gave up the game’s first goal just 59 seconds into Thursday’s contest and did not score until the final period despite recording 30 shots on goal through the first 40 minutes. “You get behind the eight-ball early and you give up another one right at the start of the third,” Jets forward Adam Lowry told the media afterward, referencing Winnipeg surrendering a goal 37 seconds into the final period.

TV: 2 p.m. ET, Sportsnet (Winnipeg), FS North, FS Wisconsin (Minneapolis)

ABOUT THE JETS (20-13-2): Forward Nikolaj Ehlers assisted on defenseman Tucker Poolman’s goal in the third period Thursday, giving him seven goals and six assists in his past 16 games with points in 12 contests. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is 1-3-0 in his past four games and has surrendered 16 goals in that span with an .867 save percentage, after a 5-0-1 stretch across seven games where he surrendered eight goals with a .951 save percentage. Center Mark Scheifele did not record a point Thursday after registering seven goals and five assists during a seven-game point streak.

ABOUT THE WILD (17-14-5): Center Eric Staal was one of three Minnesota players to finish with one goal and two assists Thursday to raise his team-leading points total to 30, and during his current five-game point steak has five goals and four assists. Forward Mats Zuccarello recorded his second three-point game in his past eight contests, while forward Marcus Foligno had a goal and two assists after recording three points in his previous 11 games. Minnesota gave up two power-play goals Thursday, and in the past 10 games opponents are 10-for-28 against the Wild penalty kill.

OVERTIME

1. Jets C Mason Appleton logged 10:23 of ice time Thursday in his first game since breaking his foot before practice Oct. 25.

2. Minnesota D Jared Spurgeon finished plus-1 in 22:37 on Thursday after missing seven games with a broken right hand.

3. Jets F Patrik Laine scored two goals and added two assists to lead the Jets to a 5-2 home victory over the Wild in the team’s first meeting of the season on Oct. 10.

PREDICTION: Wild 4, Jets 2