Vancouver @ Minnesota preview
Xcel Energy Center
Last Meeting ( Dec 16, 2023 ) Vancouver 1, Minnesota 2
The Minnesota Wild will try to extend their point streak to six games when they host the Vancouver Canucks on Monday afternoon in St. Paul, Minn.
Minnesota is coming off a 3-2 overtime loss at home against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night. The Wild are 4-0-1 in their last five games.
"If we can continue the consistency and the style of game that we played for the majority of the week," Wild coach John Hynes said, "that's going to give us the best chance to continue to win and be a hard team to play against."
Vancouver has played well all season, including the past week. The Canucks had won three games in a row before losing 4-2 at home to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.
The Canucks lead the NHL with 80 points through their first 56 games. They boast a plus-59 goal differential, which also is the top mark in the league, and they have proved to be almost as dominant on the road (18-8-4) as they have been on home ice (19-5-2).
Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet said the loss against Winnipeg did not diminish any of the confidence that he has in his players.
"I thought 5-on-5 we were really good," Tocchet said. "They won especially in the special-teams battle, but I thought we were better 5-on-5. There's a lot of care in that room, so I'm actually happy with the effort."
Minnesota is expected to start Filip Gustavsson in net against the Canucks. Gustavsson is 15-13-3 with a 3.18 goals-against average and an .897 save percentage in 32 games (31 starts).
In six career appearances against Vancouver, Gustavsson is 3-2-1 with a 2.20 GAA and a .929 save percentage.
The Canucks are expected to counter with goaltender Thatcher Demko (30-10-1, 2.45 GAA, .918 save percentage). The 28-year-old Demko is 12-2-0 in his last 14 starts.
Demko has faced the Wild five times in his career. He is 0-3-2 with a 3.40 GAA and a .900 save percentage in those contests.
Vancouver boasts three skaters averaging more than a point per game. Forward Elias Pettersson leads the team with 72 points (28 goals, 44 assists) in 56 games, fellow forward J.T. Miller is next on the scoring list with 70 points (24 G, 46 A) in 56 games and defenseman Quinn Hughes ranks third with 66 points (12 G, 54 A) in 56 games.
Minnesota is led by forward Kirill Kaprizov, who has 51 points (20 G, 31 A) in 47 games. Forward Joel Eriksson Ek has a team-leading 25 goals to go along with 20 assists in 54 games.
Wild defenseman Declan Chisholm will look to build upon a memorable performance on Saturday that featured his first career goal. It also marked the team debut for Chisholm, 24, who appeared in four games in parts of two seasons with Winnipeg but never scored.
"After I scored that goal, I just wanted the game to end right there so we (could) get the win," Chisholm said.
--Field Level Media