Preview: Wild vs Predators

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Minnesota Wild continues its homestand tonight against the Nashville Predators.

Info for Tonight's Game:

• When: Thursday, January 25 at 7:00 p.m. CT
• Where: Xcel Energy Center (St. Paul, Minnesota)
• Tickets: Buy Now
• Watch: Bally Sports North
• Listen: KFAN 100.3 FM
• Gamecenter: Wild vs Predators

Wild Record: 21-21-5, 47 points, 7th in Central Division

Predators Record: 25-21-1, 51 points, 4th in Central Division

2023-24 Series Record: 1-0-0

Wild vs. Predators All-Time Record:  37-37-12 (22-15-5 at Xcel Energy Center)

Last Time Out

The Wild defeated the Washington Capitals, 5-3, on Tuesday night at Xcel Energy Center (1/23). F Marcus Johansson scored twice (2-0=2) against his former team. D Brock Faber and forwards Joel Eriksson Ek (1-1=2) and Marcus Foligno (1-1=2) also scored for Minnesota. G Filip Gustavsson saved 30-of-33 shots faced for a .909 SV%. 

The Predators fell to the Florida Panthers, 4-1, on Monday (1/22) at Bridgestone Arena. D Jeremy Lauzon was the only Pred to score. G Juuse Saros made 34-of-36 saves in net (.944 SV%).

Previously on Wild vs. Predators

Minnesota won the series-opening matchup, 6-1, at Bridgestone Arena (11/30). F Connor Dewar led the Wild with his first career hat trick and four-point game (3-1=4). F Kirill Kaprizov had two points (1-1=2). F Pat Maroon (1-0=1) and D Jake Middleton (1-0=1) also scored for Minnesota. Gustavsson stopped 26-of-27 shots faced in the win.

F Juuso Parssinen scored Nashville’s lone goal (1-0=1). Saros started the game for the Predators and saved 11-of-15 shots faced. G Kevin Lankinen entered in the second period and stopped 14-of-16 shots faced.

Players to Watch

•  Kaprizov leads Minnesota with 42 points (18-24=42) this season, was named the NHL’s First Star of the Week for the period ending Jan. 21 after ranking T-1st in the NHL in scoring (4-4=8) and goals in four games, registered his third career regular-season hat trick at CAR (1/21), moved into a tie with Jason Zucker for fourth on the franchise’s all-time goal scoring list (132 goals) and has 18 points (10-8=18) and a plus-10 rating in his last 12 games played
• Faber leads all NHL rookies with 24:43 TOI per game, 93 blocked shots and 24 assists, and is T-2nd with 28 points (4-24=28), he leads all rookie defensemen in scoring, is 11th among all NHL skaters in TOI/game, and owns an active five-game point streak (2-6=8), the longest ever point streak by a Wild rookie defenseman
• Eriksson Ek owns an active five-game point streak (5-5=10) and 13 points (5-8=13) in his last 10 games
• D Roman Josi owns five points (1-4=5) in his last five games, leads the Preds with 31 assists and is T-2nd on his team with 40 points
• F Filip Forsberg leads Nashville in points (22-27=49) and goals and is second in assists
• F Ryan O'Reilly is first on the Predators in power-play goals (11), second in goals (17) and is T-2nd in points (17-23=40)

Recent Transactions

The Minnesota Wild recalled F Jake Lucchini and G Jesper Wallstedt (emergency conditions) from Iowa and reassigned D Daemon Hunt to Iowa and placed F Connor Dewar on Injured Reserve (1/20). 

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

To view Minnesota's full Injury Report, visit wild.com/injury.

Connections

• Wild Head Coach John Hynes went 134-96-18 in parts of four seasons (2020-23) as Nashville’s Head Coach
• Gaudreau tallied eight points (3-5=8) in 84 games with Nashville in three seasons (2016-19)
• F Ryan Hartman recorded 26 points (13-13=26) in 85 games in parts of two seasons with the Predators (2017-19)
• Predators Head Coach Andrew Brunette recorded 321 points (119-202=321) in 489 games with the Wild (2001-04, 200811)
  • He also spent five seasons in Minnesota’s hockey operations department (2014-19) as an Assistant Coach, Hockey Operations Advisor, Assistant General Manager and Director of Player Personnel
• Nashville Assistant Coach Todd Richards served as Wild Head Coach for two seasons (2009-11)
• D Ryan McDonagh hails from Saint Paul
• F Tommy Novak played four seasons at the University of Minnesota (2015-19) and is from St. Paul
• F Gustav Nyquist recorded five points (1-4=5) in three regular season games and five points (0-5=5) in six Stanley Cup Playoff games with Minnesota last season
• F Cole Smith is a native of Brainerd

Fast Facts

• Minnesota is 6-3-1 in its last 10 games played against the Predators at Xcel Energy Center.

Game Notes

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