The Blue Jackets, converting at 28 percent on the power play, are the League's best team with the man advantage. The Wild, which kills 85.6 percent of opponent's power plays, is fifth-best in the NHL on the PK.
Minnesota goaltender Devan Dubnyk leads the League with a .944 save percentage. Columbus goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is first with 23 victories.
In this case, the metrics provide an accurate depiction of where each team is at in the standings. Columbus, which carries a 14-game winning streak into the game, has an NHL-best 54 points, including just five regulation losses.
Minnesota, riding a 12-game streak, has 50 points, one fewer than the Chicago Blackhawks. But the Wild has a game in hand and is the only team in the Western Conference with fewer than 10 regulation defeats (eight).
"We've gotta be smart defensively, using our structure to our advantage and being in good spots," said Wild forward Eric Staal. "We know how to play against top-powered offensive teams. We've faced a few this year, and their power play is very, very good. We need to make sure we keep that off the ice by being disciplined."
Across the board, Columbus has been the League's best team for a bulk of the season. Its 117 goals for are 10 fewer than both Pittsburgh and the New York Rangers, but the Jackets have several games in hand on both. They've allowed just 70 goals, tied with the Wild for fewest. Minnesota has played one more game, however.
That makes Saturday's game less about which team will be harder to score against and more about which team plays prudent hockey.
"Whoever makes the fewer mistakes is usually the victor," said Wild coach Bruce Boudreau. "Special teams is the other thing. They've got the best [power play] in the League. You really have to stay out of the box against them."
