Wild Warmup: Minnesota vs. Chicago

The essentials

The Wild Warmup is presented by Bryant Heating and Cooling
ST. PAUL -- When the Wild hosts the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday afternoon at Xcel Energy Center, it will be trying to finish off a season sweep of its Central Division rivals.
Minnesota has defeated Chicago in each of the first three matchups between the clubs this season, securing wins in back-to-back games, including on Hockey Day Minnesota, back in January, before trouncing the Hawks by a 5-0 margin in the final game before the All-Star break.
The Hockey Day matchup in St. Paul is the only one that has been close, with the Wild overcoming a late deficit to force overtime before winning on a Marcus Foligno goal in the extra session, securing a 4-3 win on Jan. 22.
The two previous games at United Center have amounted to a combined margin of 10-1 in favor of the Wild, who will play their final game before the NHL's Trade Deadline on Saturday.

Minnesota will begin the day Saturday tied for third place in the Central Division with the Nashville Predators, three points back of the second-place St. Louis Blues. The Wild has two games in hand on the Preds, however, and one on the Blues, so the Wild is very much in the mix for home ice in the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The game Saturday will be the club's final opportunity to show general manager Bill Guerin what it's made of before the last major opportunity to reshape the roster.
The Wild has played better of late, posting a 3-1-1 record over its past five games and coming off an impressive 4-2 win over the Boston Bruins at Xcel Energy Center on Wednesday night.

Kirill Kaprizov scored a pair of goals in the first period and Jordan Greenway capped a memorable shift in the third by potting his second goal in as many games. The tally was his third game-winning goal of the season, which is tied for second on the club.
"We thought we started real well," said Wild coach Dean Evason. "Second period maybe [was a struggle], third period was great, as far as managing the puck and doing the things we talk about as a group. Thats get pucks to the net, don't turn pucks over ... all the things we preach all the time. The commitment was definitely there, pretty much for the whole game."
Cam Talbot, who will earn the start between the posts for Minnesota on Saturday, made 24 saves in the win. The All-Star goaltender, who earned a 30-save shutout against Chicago the last time these clubs met on Feb. 2, has won each of his past four starts.

What the Wild chooses to do ahead of Monday's 2 p.m. deadline is still unknown, but the Blackhawks made clear Friday that they are entering another period rebuilding when they dealt 23-year-old winger Brandon Hagel to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for first-round draft picks in 2023 and 2024 as well as a pair of prospects.
Hagel had 21 goals in 55 games for Chicago this season, and had tallied four goals in his past four games overall. He had seven points in his past five contests and his 37 points was fourth-most on the club this season.
Kevin Lankinen, who was in goal in the only other meeting between the clubs at Xcel Energy Center this season, is expected to get the start as the Blackhawks keep veteran Marc-Andre Fleury out of the lineup ahead of the deadline. Fleury, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL's top goaltender, has been rumored to also be on his way out of Chicago before Monday's deadline.
Lankinen made 40 saves in the loss to the Wild on Hockey Day, one day after making 16 saves in relief of Fleury after the veteran was pulled when he surrendered four goals in the first half of the game at United Center. Lankinen has started just three games since that OT loss to the Wild, surrendering 13 goals in those three games.
He's 3-7-4 on the season with a 3.60 goals-against average and an .885 save percentage.
Chicago is led offensively by Patrick Kane's 49 assists and 68 points. Alex DeBrincat has a team-high 34 goals.