The Wild are 0-1-1 at home entering the second of a six-game homestand. They are 1-2-1 in their past four games. Goaltender Devan Dubnyk, who is 1-3-0 with an .899 save percentage after a 1-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, will will start for the Wild. Thomas Greiss, who's been alternating with Jaroslav Halak, will be in goal for the Isladners. Greiss is 2-1-1 with a 3.06 goals-against average and .917 save percentage in four games this season.
Players to watch
Islanders center John Tavares scored three goals and had an assist in a 5-3 win against the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday. Tavares has seven points (four goals, three assists) in the past two games after going five games without a point. Forward Chris Stewart has at least one point in six of the past seven games and leads the Wild with eight points (six goals, two assists).
They said it
"We feel like we're housing our lineup with guys that can not only make John [Tavares] better, but he can make them better. Our four lines we can throw over the bench, combined with our goaltending and our defense, we're a solid team." --Islanders coach Doug Weight "We've got to be better. This is our building. We can't be mediocre and right now we're a mediocre team. Right now the message is we've got to be better." --Wild coach Bruce Boudreau
The Islanders reassigned forward Joshua Ho-Sang to Bridgeport of the American Hockey League on Wednesday. Ho-Sang had four assists in six games but was a healthy scratch the past two games. Forward Alan Quine, who hasn't played this season because of an upper-body injury, was activated from injured reserve and sent to Bridgeport for conditioning. Weight said he's expected to return in about two weeks … Niederreiter took part in the morning skate. He expects to practice with the Wild on Friday and is nearing a return to the lineup.
Stat pack
Bailey has five points (two goals, three assists) during a four-game point streak. … Zucker has six points (two goals, four assists) in the past six games. Suter has five points (one goal, four assists) in the past four games.
