Detroit @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 22, 2019 ) Minnesota 3, Detroit 2

The Minnesota Wild let a chance for an impressive three-game winning streak against teams in playoff position slip away in the final minutes last time out and try to rebound when the NHL-worst Detroit Red Wings visit Wednesday. The Wild ended Tampa Bay’s 10-game winning streak Thursday and routed Dallas 7-0 two days later, but gave up the tying goal with 4:08 left and took a crushing 5-4 defeat Monday when Florida scored with less than 6 seconds left.

“Pretty disheartening,” Minnesota’s leading goal scorer Zach Parise told reporters after scoring for the fourth straight game Monday. “From getting ourselves back into the driver’s seat and feeling like a few more shifts. … to close it out to not getting a point out of it, that a tough one right now where we are. That’s a tough one to take.” The Wild are at the bottom of the Central Division standings and seven points out of a Western Conference playoff position with a couple games in hand as they prepare to take on Detroit, which has scored eight times during its five-game losing streak (0-4-1). The Red Wings scored three goals for the second time since Dec. 28 on Monday, but suffered a 6-3 setback at Colorado despite three points from center Dylan Larkin as they prepare for the final game before the All-Star break. “When you start to lose confidence or the losses wear on you, it starts to hurt your energy a little bit,” Detroit coach Jeff Blashill told reporters. “We have to be real careful of that, we have to find a way to have great energy in our last game before the break and then get ourselves rejuvenated coming back at it.”

TIME: 8 p.m. ET. TV: NBC Sports Network

ABOUT THE RED WINGS (12-34-4): Larkin boasts at least a point in nine of the last 10 games to push his total to 35 - one fewer than All-Star forward Tyler Bertuzzi, who had a goal and an assist Monday after a four-game point drought. Jimmy Howard is still seeking his first win since Oct. 29 - a span of 15 appearances - but the veteran goalie has been sharper this month without much help in front of him. “We wouldn’t have been in the game if he hadn’t played as well as he played, so he was excellent,” Blashill told reporters after Howard made 40 saves Monday. “He’s been really good the last three games. He looks like he’s on top of his game.”

ABOUT THE WILD (22-21-6): Parise has recorded five of 19 goals during his streak and is third on the team in points (31) behind center Eric Staal (36) and defenseman Ryan Suter (35), who boasts a goal and four assists in the past three contests. Forward Luke Kunin has picked up his production of late with two goals Monday and eight points in his past eight games, while defenseman Jared Spurgeon has scored twice and set up two others in the last three contests. Alex Stalock (11-8-3, .903 save percentage) played the last three games, but Devan Dubnyk (8-12-2, .892) is expected to be back between the pipes Wednesday.

OVERTIME

1. Detroit D Mike Green is expected to miss a few weeks and C Frans Nielsen is questionable after leaving Monday’s game with upper-body injuries.

2. Minnesota captain Mikko Koivu (498 career assists) is expected to return after missing Monday’s game because of illness.

3. The Wild converted 7-of-13 tries with the man advantage over the last four games while the Red Wings gave up six power-play goals in the past five outings.

PREDICTION: Wild 3, Red Wings 2