Anaheim is coming off a 3-2 victory two nights ago against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center. Trailing by two goals, Nick Ritchie kick-started the comeback with a goal just 40 seconds after the Blackhawks took a 2-0 lead in the second period. Then, Ritchie's linemate Ondrej Kase tied the game on a breakaway at the end of an extended shift. Adam Henrique scored the club's third unanswered goal and eventual game winner in the third period to give his line three goals and seven points combined. John Gibson was spectacular, turning aside 42 of 44 shots for his 20th win of the season.
Minnesota, meanwhile, saw its 13-game home point streak end in a 5-2 loss to the Washington Capitals on Thursday. The Wild entered the game with a 10-0-3 mark in its last 13 at Xcel Energy Center - the longest home point streak in franchise history and the longest in the NHL since Washington's 17-game home point streak (16-0-1) last season. It marked the fourth consecutive game on the club's current five-game homestand that featured a team jumping out to a 3-0 lead, but this time it wasn't the Wild. The loss was a big one considering Anaheim's victory over Chicago narrowed the gap to just one point between the two clubs in the standings.
Veteran center Eric Staal leads the club in goals (26) and points (52), ranks third in assists and co-leads in power-play goals (7). The 33-year-old Thunder Bay, Ontario native has thrived in his two seasons with the Wild, earning 117 points (54g/63a) in 139 games. Wild captain Mikko Koivu, younger brother of former Ducks center Saku Koivu, appeared in his 900th career NHL game on Thursday. Goaltender Devan Dubnyk, who saw his 10-game home point streak (8-0-2) snapped in the loss to the Capitals, enters today's game with a 23-11-4 record, 2.62 GAA, .918 SV% and four shutouts.
This contest marks the halfway point of a three-game season series between the Ducks and Wild. Anaheim has gone 30-20-10 in the all-time season series against Minnesota, including a 12-11-6 mark in the State of Hockey. The 2017-18 series opener took place on December 8 at Honda Center, a 3-2 overtime victory for the Wild. Corey Perry (18g/19a) and Ryan Kesler (25g/12a) co-lead active Ducks in career scoring vs. Minnesota with 37 points apiece. Perry has points in three consecutive games vs. Minnesota (three points, 2g/1a) and in five of his last seven (five points, 1g/4a). The season series will conclude in the final week of the regular season on April 4 at Honda Center.
