Game Preview: Wild at Panthers

SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Minnesota Wild is making its across Florida, charting course for Sunrise to face off against the Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena tonight after falling 6-3 to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night.

Info for Tonight's Game:

• When: Thursday, March 26th at 6:00 p.m. CT
• Where: Benchmark International Arena (Tampa, Florida)
• Stream: ESPN
• Listen: KFAN
• Gamecenter: Wild at Panthers

Wild Record: 40-20-12

Lightning Record: 35-32-3

2025-26 Series Record: 0-0-1

All-Time Wild Record: 21-10-5 (10-7-1 at Florida)

Last Time Out

This Season on Wild vs. Panthers

The Panthers won the series-opening game, 4-3, in overtime at Grand Casino Arena (1/24).

LW Matt Boldy (1-1=2) and LW Kirill Kaprizov (1-1=2) led the Wild with two points each. G Filip Gustavsson stopped 30-of-34 shots faced.

LW Brad Marchand led Florida with three points (2-1=3). C Sam Reinhart (1-1=2), LW Matthew Tkachuk (0-2=2) and C Carter Verhaeghe (0-2=2) each posted two points. G Sergei Bobrovsky saved 18-of-21 shots faced to earn the win for Florida.

Wild Leaders Against Panthers

• Zuccarello leads Minnesota with 34 points (16-18=34) in 32 career matches against Florida
• LW Nick Foligno owns 24 points (10-14=24) in 54 career games
• D Zach Bogosian owns 21 points (6-15=21) in 47 games vs. Florida
• RW Vladimir Tarasenko has 17 points (6-11=17) in 22 games

Cats Leaders Against Wild

• RW Brad Marchand leads Florida with 23 points (11-12=23) in 21 games vs. Minnesota
• C Aleksander Barkov has 18 points (4-14=18) in 19 career matches against Minnesota
• Tkachuk has 15 points (6-9=15) in 22 games
• D Aaron Ekblad has 15 points (4-10=14) in 20 games

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On the Mend

Marcus Foligno: lower body (12 games missed)

Full Injury Report

Connections

• C Nico Sturm recorded one point (0-1=1) in 15 games during the 2024-25 season with Florida and skated in eight postseason games to help the Panthers win the 2025 Stanley Cup
• Tarasenko recorded 14 points (6-8=14) in 19 games with Florida during the 2023-24 season as well nine points (5-4=9) in 24 postseason games to help the Panthers win the 2024 Stanley Cup
• D Jeff Petry recorded eight assists (0-8=8) in 58 games with Florida in the 2025-26 season prior to being traded to Minnesota on March 5, 2026
• Minnesota Assistant Coach Jack Capuano worked as Associate Coach with Florida for two seasons (2017-19)
• F Vinnie Hinostroza collected 18 points (8-10=18) in 73 games in parts of two seasons (2024- 26) with Minnesota
• C Luke Kunin was selected by Minnesota in the first round (No. 15 overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft and recorded 52 points (23- 29=52) in 131 games across three seasons (2017-20) with the Wild
• Panthers D Dmitry Kulikov collected 24 points (7-17=24) in 80 games with Minnesota in 2020-21

Fast Facts

• Minnesota has a earned a point in 14 of the 18 all-time meetings in Saint Paul (11-3-4)

For more information on today's matchup, check out the game notes below.