New Jersey @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 9, 2019 ) Minnesota 4, New Jersey 2

The Minnesota Wild entered the All-Star break with a three-game winning streak but have lost six of their seven contests since returning (1-4-2). They look to end a three-game slide at home Friday as they host the one team they've defeated this month - the New Jersey Devils.

Minnesota, which began Thursday in the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, began a four-game homestand with a 5-4 setback against Philadelphia on Tuesday. Rookie center Luke Kunin scored twice in the loss, giving him three goals and four assists over his last five contests. New Jersey, which dropped a 4-2 home decision to the Wild on Saturday, is wrapping up a three-game road trip during which it lost the first two contests by a combined 13-5. The Devils scored the first two goals in Chicago on Thursday before allowing the final five en route to their fifth loss in six overall games (1-4-1).

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, MSG Plus (New Jersey), FS North, FS Wisconsin (Minnesota)

ABOUT THE DEVILS (21-28-8): Travis Zajac ended his six-game point drought Thursday, scoring a goal to land on the scoresheet for the second time in 11 contests. The 33-year-old center is three games shy of 900 in the NHL and seven points away from 500 for his career. Jesper Bratt has recorded a point in five of his last six games after notching an assist against the Blackhawks.

ABOUT THE WILD (27-25-5): Zach Parise, who leads the team with 49 points, has registered one in eight of his last 10 games. The 34-year-old, who spent his first seven NHL seasons with New Jersey, has registered two goals - including one Saturday - and four assists in nine contests against his former club. Defenseman Jared Spurgeon, who ended his three-game drought with a goal and two assists Tuesday, needs one tally to set a career high of 12 and is three points away from matching the personal best of 38 he registered in 2016-17.

OVERTIME

1. Wild C Eric Staal has gone six games without a point and seven without a goal.

2. New Jersey G Keith Kinkaid will be in the crease after Cory Schneider lost Thursday to fall to 0-7-2 this season and 0-17-4 since defeating Detroit on Dec. 27, 2017.

3. Minnesota could be without Cs Victor Rask (lower body) and Matt Hendricks (upper body) as both left Tuesday's game in the second period.

PREDICTION: Wild 3, Devils 1