Preview: Wild vs. Sharks

SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- The Minnesota Wild continues a six-game homestand with a game tonight against the San Jose Sharks.

Info for Tonight's Game:

• When: Thursday, March 28 at 7:00 p.m. CT
• Where: Xcel Energy Center
• Tickets: Ticketmaster
• Watch: Bally Sports North
• Listen: KFAN 100.3 FM
• Gamecenter: Wild vs. Sharks

Wild Record: 34-28-9, 77 points, 6th in Central Division

Sharks Record: 16-47-8, 40 points, 8th in Pacific Division

2023-24 Series Record: 1-0-0

Wild vs. Sharks All-Time Record: 38-36-9 (21-15-5 at Xcel Energy Center)

Last Time Out

The Wild fell in overtime to the St. Louis Blues, 5-4, on Saturday (3/23) at home. F Marco Rossi (2-0=2) led the Wild with two goals and F Kirill Kaprizov (0-2=2) led with two assists. D Brock Faber (1-1=2) also notched two points and F Marcus Johansson (1-0=1) scored a goal for Minnesota. G Marc-Andre Fleury made 22-of-27 saves (.815 SV%) in 62:05 TOI. 

The Sharks were defeated by the Dallas Stars, 6-3, on Tuesday (3/26) at SAP Center. Forwards William Eklund (1-1=2) and Mikael Granlund (0-2=2) paced San Jose with two points each. Forwards Klim Kostin (1-0=1) and Alexander Barabanov (1-0=1) also netted goals for the Sharks. G Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 35-of-41 saves (.854 SV%) in the loss.

Previously on Wild vs. Sharks

The Wild defeated the Sharks, 4-3, on March 3.

Kaprizov led Minnesota with a hat trick (3-0=3). F Matt Boldy also notched a multi-point game (0-2=2). F Freddy Gaudreau also scored (1-0=1) for the Wild. G Filip Gustavsson stopped 12-of-15 shots faced in the
win.

F Anthony Duclair (1-0=1), Granlund (1-0=1) and F Nico Sturm (1-0=1) each scored for the Sharks. G Kaapo Kahkonen saved 28-of-32 shots faced for San Jose.

Players to Watch

• Kaprizov leads Minnesota with 79 points (36-43=79) and 36 goals this season and has 55 points (28-
  27=55) and a plus-16 rating in his last 37 games played
• Rossi among NHL rookies is T-1st in GWG (two), second in goals (20) and shots on goal (149), fourth in points (30-17=37) and moved past Marian Gaborik (18-18=36, 2000-01 season) against STL (3/23) for the fourth-highest single-season point total by a Wild rookie
• Faber leads all NHL rookies with 25:05 TOI per game, 134 blocked shots and 33 assists, and is T-2nd with 40 points (7-33=40)
  • With a two-point game (1-1=2) vs. STL (3/23), moved past Boldy (15-24=39 in 2021-22) for the second-highest single-season point total by a Wild rookie
• Granlund (10-38=48) leads San Jose in points and assists and owns 16 points (3-13=16) in his last 15 games
• F Fabian Zetterlund (20-15=35) leads the Sharks in goals, is second in points and is fifth in assists

Recent Transactions

The Minnesota Wild signed D Jack Peart to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning in the 2024-25 season.

To view more recent transactions, visit wild.com/transactions.

Connections

• Minnesota President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin skated in 16 games with San Jose during the 2006-07 season
• D Jake Middleton recorded 12 points (3-9=12) and 82 PIM in 59 games for San Jose in parts of four seasons (2018-22)
• D Calen Addison collected 38 points (5-33=38) in parts of four seasons (2020-23) with the
  Wild
• Granlund was selected by Minnesota in the first round of the 2010 NHL Draft (9th overall) and tallied 317 points (93-224=317) in 461 games in parts of seven seasons with the Wild (2012-19) 
• F Luke Kunin was drafted by Minnesota in the first round (15th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft
  and totaled 52 points (23-29=52) in 131 games in three seasons with the
  Wild (2017-20)
• Sturm tallied 36 points (20-16=36) in 111 games in parts of four seasons with the Wild (2018-22)

Fast Facts

• Minnesota has won seven of the last 10 meetings vs. San Jose, going 7-2-1 in that stretch
• The Wild is 13-6-2 in its last 21 contests against the Sharks at Xcel Energy Center

For more information on tonight's faceoff, check out the game notes below.