[43-27-12]
4
3
11/20/2013
FINAL
[37-31-14]
123T
MIN1214
25SHOTS37
26FACEOFFS35
24HITS44
11PIM13
1/3PP1/2
5GIVEAWAYS14
8TAKEAWAYS11
21BLOCKED SHOTS6
     

Wild, Senators aim to bounce back from losses

Wednesday, 11.20.2013 / 5:56 PM

WILD (13-5-4) at SENATORS (8-9-4)

TV: RDS, TSN, FS-WI, FS-N+

Last 10: Minnesota 7-2-1; Ottawa 4-4-2

Season series: This is the first of two games. The most recent meeting was Oct. 11, 2011, when the Ottawa Senators defeated the Minnesota Wild 4-3 in a shootout. The Wild have not defeated the Senators since March 16, 2004, outscored 26-12 in six games.

Big story: Each team traveled a short distance after disappointing results Tuesday. For Ottawa, it was more of the same, a 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers that was its third defeat in four games. For Minnesota, it was a surprising end to a four-game winning and eight-game point streak, with a 6-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens its second in nine games and third in 13 (10-2-1).

"This is a game that we would very quickly like to throw it in the garbage, but at the same time hopefully we take the feeling that we have and bring that into the game tomorrow a little bit," Wild coach Mike Yeo told FOX Sports North.

"… If we just sit here and say, 'Hey, we've been on a nice run and this is bound to happen,' then I don't think we should expect us to come out with much of a difference than we did tonight, but if this stings like it should, then it should be pretty motivating for us to be ready for that game."

Team Scope:

Wild: Of Minnesota's eight previous losses, five were by one goal, and it had not allowed six goals in a game all season.

"Hopefully, we're a little ticked off," Yeo said. "We've been on a good stretch here, but there's no need for us ... to look back on that [and] feel too good about that. What's important is, good teams respond, so we have to make sure we have to respond with a good effort tomorrow."

Goalie Josh Harding was 9-0-2 in the 11 games heading into Tuesday, when he was pulled in the second period. Darcy Kuemper was in line for his second start of the season but played in relief.

"We never had a plan for [Wednesday]," Yeo said of his starting goaltender. "We were just going to go and see how things went tonight and obviously make the decision tomorrow."

Harding seems likely to start.

"That was basically why we pulled him," Yeo said. "... We pulled him to see if he would have enough in the tank to give us a chance to play that game tomorrow, and we'll see."

Senators: Ottawa fell behind 2-0 for the fourth game in a row and 11th time in 21 games this season. This is the third back-to-back for the Senators (0-1-1), with two more in November.

"I think it's always good to get right back and play," coach Paul MacLean told the Senators' website. "We look forward to tomorrow, but we don't get much solace out of [Tuesday] because we didn't get any points out of it."

A bright spot was two power-play goals scored after going 2-for-21 in the previous six games and 0-for-3 to start Tuesday.

"We have an opportunity to take whatever positives out of this game and use them tomorrow," forward Colin Greening said. "Both teams are playing back-to-back, so we're even-keeled there, and we'll see."

Craig Anderson likely will start in goal after Robin Lehner faced 42 shots.

Who's hot: Wild defenseman Ryan Suter has a three-game point streak, four of five and six of eight. … Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson has a three-game point streak and four of five.

Injury report: Wild forward Torrey Mitchell (undisclosed) left the game Tuesday. Goalie Niklas Backstrom (concussion) is out indefinitely. Defenseman Keith Ballard (upper body) is on injured reserve. Forward Mike Rupp (knee) is on a conditioning assignment in the American Hockey League.

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