Coming off a 5-2 statement win over the Colorado Avalanche last night, the Minnesota Wild is back in action tonight against the Utah Mammoth at 8:00 p.m. CT on FanDuel Sports Network, KSTP-TV, 5 Eyewitness News and KFAN FM 100.3. With last night’s win, the Wild improved to 35-14-10 on the season and its 80 points is tied for the second-most in the NHL. Last night’s contest saw Matt Boldy become the first player in Wild history to record four points (2-2=4) in two consecutive games, Filip Gustavsson made a season-high 44 saves on 45 shots faced and the Wild extend its win-streak to six games, one shy of its season-high.
Tonight’s contest against the Mammoth will be another tough division matchup for Minnesota, as Utah comes into tonight’s game 11-4-1 in its last 16 games dating back to January 5, outscoring its opponents 58-39 along the way. In the first matchup between these two teams on October 25, Utah earned a 6-2 victory and improved to 4-1-0 against the Wild all-time. Silver lining for Minnesota tonight, however? Per Stats Perform, in games against teams with a .500 point percentage or higher, the Wild owns a 26-9-9 record, which is the third-best in the NHL this season behind Tampa Bay and Colorado.
Jesper Wallstedt, who has won three consecutive starts, is expected to start for Minnesota tonight. For the season, Wallstedt owns a 14-5-4 record with a 2.76 GAA, a .912 SV% and four shutouts. This marks the first time Wallstedt will face Utah in his career. Karel Vejmelka is the expected starter for Utah tonight, who is 10-4-0 in his last 14 starts with a 2.36 GAA and a .914 SV%. In his career against Minnesota, Vejmelka owns a 7-4-1 record with a 2.53 GAA, a .918 SV% and one shutout.
Players to Watch for Minnesota:
Matt Boldy: A mainstay in this category, Boldy owns eight points (5-3=8) in his last two games and 16 points (7-9=16) in his last eight games (has a point in seven consecutive games). Per NHL Stats, Boldy can become the sixth player in NHL history to record four or more points in three consecutive road games.
Quinn Hughes: Like Boldy, Hughes remains a player to watch for Minnesota. He comes into tonight’s contest with a franchise record 11-game assist streak (2-17=19), which is also the longest of his career and the longest in the NHL this season.
Marcus Johansson: In four games against the Mammoth, Johansson owns five points (3-2=5) including a two-goal outing in the first matchup between these two teams this season. Johansson is also on milestone watch as he currently sits two goals shy of 200 for his NHL career.
