vs. Montreal Canadiens, Xcel Energy Center, 7 p.m. Thursday
TV; radio: BSN Extra; 100.3 FM
Stats and analytics: Tap here.
Pregame reading: There were lots of major contributors during Tuesday’s victory in Boston.
For the fans: The NHL’s roster freeze is in effect through midnight on Dec. 28. Minus a few exceptions, teams are prohibited from trades, waivers and loans.
Opening bell: The Wild are back in action after a signature win at Boston on Tuesday, and they’ve won four straight on home ice. Coach John Hynes didn’t rule out a return by D Jared Spurgeon, who’s missed the past four games due to injury. On Oct. 17, the Wild picked up a 5-2 victory in Montreal.
Watch him: LW Kirill Kaprizov is coming off his first two-goal game of the season. Both plays were indicative of Kaprizov’s strengths: his first tally was a result of him being around the net to capitalize on a deflected puck, and his game-winner in overtime vs. the Bruins was an impressive one-timer.
Injuries: Wild D Jonas Brodin (upper body), Spurgeon (lower body) and RW Mats Zuccarello (upper body). Canadiens C Kirby Dach (knee), D Jordan Harris (lower body), LW Rafael Harvey-Pinard (lower body), C Alex Newhook (ankle) and LW Tanner Pearson (upper body).
Forecast: The Canadiens are improving, going 3-1-1 over their past five games. Coach Martin St. Louis has praised the team for being locked-in and the most organized since he’s been behind the bench. That should make the rematch more competitive than Round 1, but the Wild have also made strides since then. Although they blew a late lead in the third period to Boston, they reset in overtime. If they can preserve that resilience, it should serve them well in future pressure-packed situations.
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Sarah McLellan covers the Wild and NHL. Before joining the Star Tribune in November 2017, she spent five years covering the Coyotes for The Arizona Republic.
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