The Wild and Senators meet for the final time this season today at 12:00 p.m. CT on FanDuel Sports Network and KFAN FM 100.3. Minnesota earned a 3-2 win over Ottawa in the first meeting back on December 13, that saw Tyler Pitlick, Ryan Hartman and Joel Eriksson Ek (GWG) all score. Jesper Wallstedt stopped 34-of-36 shots faced in the win. Minnesota clinched a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoff with its win over Vancouver on Thursday night, while Ottawa is clinging onto the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference with 88 points on the season, tied with Detroit, Columbus and Philadelphia.
Wallstedt will get the start for Minnesota today, looking to earn a sweep over Ottawa this season. In his last start, Wallstedt earned a 3-2 win over Florida, stopping 18-of-20 shots faced. He owns a 15-8-6 record on the season with a 2.73 GAA, a .911 SV% and four shutouts. Linus Ullmark is the expected starter for Ottawa today—he comes in off a 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres where he stopped 21-of-22 shots faced. On the season, Ullmark is 24-11-8 with a 2.81 GAA, a .887 SV% and two shutouts.
Vladimir Tarasenko will skate in his 900th career NHL game today. He’s had a resurgent season with the Wild, tallying 21 goals and 42 points (21-21=42), after scoring 11 goals in 80 games with Detroit last season. He ranks third on the Wild in goals and fifth in shots (135) this season. Through his first 899 games, Tarasenko has recorded 704 points (325-379=704) and 75 power-play goals. If he scores today, it will mark his 12th career goal against Ottawa in 23 career meetings.
Players to Watch:
Quinn Hughes: After becoming the fastest player in franchise history to reach 50 points (43 games), Hughes will look to extend his point-streak (0-3=3) to three games. He has collected 21 points (2-19=21) in 19 career games against the Senators.
Kirill Kaprizov: He comes into today’s game after scoring his 40th goal of the season on Thursday night against Vancouver. Like Hughes, he will also look to extend his point-streak (2-1=3) to three games. Kaprizov owns eight points (3-5=8) in seven games against Ottawa.
