Game Preview: Wild at Kraken

SEATTLE -- To complete the four-games-in-six-nights road trip, the Minneosta Wild will faceoff against the Seattle Kraken tonight at 8 p.m. CT at Climate Pledge Arena.

Minnesota will look to earn two points in the standings as Seattle will be playing in its second of back-to-back games.

Info for tonight's game: 

• When: Sunday, December 10, 8:00 p.m. CT
• Where: Climate Pledge Arena (Seattle, Washington)
• Watch: Bally Sports North
• Listen: KFAN 100.3 FM

Wild Record: 9-12-4, 22 points, 7th in Central Division

Kraken Record: 8-13-7, 23 points, 6th in Pacific Division

2022-23 Record vs. Seattle: 2-1-0

All-Time Wild Record vs. Kraken:  4-2-0 (2-1-0 at Xcel Energy Center, 2-1-0 at Seattle)

Last Time Out

Minnesota was unsuccessful against Edmonton, 4-3, on Friday night at Rogers Place. Though trailing after the first period, quick goals to start the second pulled the Wild ahead but ultimately the Oilers' power play secured the win in the third. Forwards Matt Boldy (1-1=2), Joel Eriksson Ek (1-0=1) and Connor Dewar (1-0=1) scored and F Marcus Johansson recorded his first multi-point game of the season (0-2=2). G Marc-Andre Fleury made 36/40 saves for a .900 SV%.

Seattle lost to Tampa Bay in overtime last night at Climate Pledge Arena, 4-3. The Kraken had four separate goal-scorers in F Oliver Bjorkstrand, D Jamie Oleksiak, F Jared McCann and F Jordan Eberle. The loss to the Lightning was the Kraken's seventh in a row. G Philipp Grubauer made 23/25 saves before leaving the game with a lower-body injury.

Head to Head

The Wild won the 2022-23 series finale 5-1 in Saint Paul on March 27. Boldy's hat trick against the Kraken led Minnesota's offensive efforts with three points (3-0=3). F Mats Zuccarello, F Ryan Hartman and D Jake Middleton also scored in the win. Eriksson Ek and Johansson each had two assists in the contest.

Fleury played in all three games against the Kraken last season and was 2-1-0 with a 1.67 GAA, a .943 SV% and had one shutout (Nov. 11, 1-0 win) in three starts. G Filip Gustavsson has not faced Seattle in his career.

Players to Watch

• Zuccarello owns team-leading 27 points (6-21=27)
• Eriksson Ek continues to lead the Wild with 13 goals
• F Marco Rossi is fourth among NHL rookies with 15 points (8-7=15)
• D Brock Faber is fourth among NHL rookies with 11 assists
• D Vince Dunn leads Seattle in goals and assists  (4-18=22)
• McCann owns a team-leading 13 goals

Connections

• Johansson recorded 23 points (6-17-23) in 51 games with Seattle in 2021-22
• D Will Borgen hails from Moorhead and skated in four seasons at St. Cloud State University (2015-18)
• Kraken television analyst J.T. Brown recorded eight points (3-5=8) in 56 games with Minnesota in 2018-19

Fast Facts

•  Minnesota is 4-1-0 in its last five games against Seattle, outscoring the Kraken 16-10.