Wild Warmup: Minnesota vs. New Jersey

The essentials

ST. PAUL -- The Wild is making the playoffs this season. That's the belief of coach Bruce Boudreau, who shrugged off comparisons to Joe Namath. But there he was, both on the radio and in front of a host of television cameras following practice at TRIA Rink at Treasure Island Center on Thursday.

"I know our team," Boudreau said. "We've made it before, and we're on the edge of things being really good rather than being really mediocre. I can look at the last eight games and a five percent difference and we'd have won most of those games.
"I think, just looking at their faces after the game the other night and knowing how upset and disappointed they were, I'm saying this is a team that wants it."
If the Wild is to make the postseason for a seventh consecutive season, that push will continue on Friday when it hosts the New Jersey Devils at Xcel Energy Center.
Minnesota has just one win in seven games since returning from its bye week break (1-4-2), a victory that came in Newark last Saturday.
Marcus Foligno tied a career high with three points and had a Gordie Howe hat trick, Luke Kunin had a goal and assist and Zach Parise and Joel Eriksson Ek had goals for Minnesota, which won 4-2 at the Prudential Center.
But the Wild will be without a couple of forwards lost to injury in Tuesday's 5-4 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. Both Victor Rask (lower body) and Matt Hendricks (upper body), lost on the same shift in the first period, will not play.
Defenseman Brad Hunt was elevated to fourth line winger at practice on Thursday while the Wild decides if it wants to recall a forward from Iowa of the American Hockey League.
Potential call ups would seem to include Matt Read or Cal O'Reilly, but Boudreau said the team is certainly capable of using Hunt in a pinch if it needs to versus the Devils.
"We'll have that discussion," Boudreau said.
New Jersey enters on the second half of back-to-back games following a 5-2 loss in Chicago against the Blackhawks on Thursday.
The Devils' 50 points are second-fewest in the NHL, ahead of only Ottawa.
Kyle Palmieri leads the team with 24 goals and 42 points. Nico Hischer has 16 goals and 40 points. Taylor Hall, remains out with a lower-body injury sustained around Christmas.
Goaltender Cory Schneider got the start in Chicago on Thursday and surrendered all five goals. Keith Kinkaid is likely to start versus the Wild. He's 15-17-6 with a 3.28 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage.

Power power play

Minnesota has tallied a power-play goal in its last three games (3-for-12) and owns seven power-play goals (7-for-29) in its last eight games, ranking T-2nd in the NHL in that category since Jan. 23.

Surging Spurgeon

Jared Spurgeon tied his career best with three points (1-2=3) vs. PHI (2/12). It marked the third time this season and sixth time in his career he has tallied three points in a game. Tuesday's goal was his 11th of the season, tying his career high set in 2015-16.
He owns 16 points (7-9=16) in the last 19 matches, ranking T-1st amongst NHL defensemen in goals and T-3rd in scoring since Jan. 3.
Since Dec. 15, Spurgeon ranks T-7th in the NHL in TOI/game at 25:33.
The blueliner leads the team in blocked shots (98), plus/minus rating and shorthanded TOI/game, ranks T-1st in multi-point games (10), second in TOI/game (23:32), fourth in assists and fifth in scoring and shots on goal.

Series notes

All-Time Wild Record: 7-9-7 (4-4-3 at Xcel Energy Center, 3-5-4 at New Jersey)
2018-19: Minnesota earned a 4-2 victory against New Jersey in the first season meeting at Prudential Center (2/9)…LW Marcus Foligno led the Wild with three points (1-2=3)…C Luke Kunin collected two points (1-1=2)…C Joel Eriksson Ek and LW Zach Parise also netted a goal each…G Devan Dubnyk made 16 saves…LW Jesper Bratt and LW Brett Seney each scored a goal for the Devils…G Cory Schneider stopped 29-of-33 shots.
WILD LEADERS: C Eric Staal leads the Wild with 27 points (8-19=27) in 51 matches against the Devils…C Mikko Koivu owns 12 points (2-10=12) in 16 games…D Ryan Suter has 12 points (1-11=12) in 18 contests…D Jared Spurgeon owns 10 points (3-7=10) in 11 matches.
WILD GOALIES: Dubnyk is 2-1-3 with a 3.32 GAA and a .883 SV% in seven starts vs. New Jersey…G Alex Stalock is 2-1-0 with a 3.01 GAA and a .907 SV% in three starts.
DEVILS LEADERS: LW Taylor Hall leads the Devils with 15 points (6- 9=15) in 22 matches against the Wild…RW Kyle Palmieri owns 10 points (3-7=10) in 15 contests…LW Marcus Johansson has eight points (2-6=8) in 10 games.
DEVILS GOALIES: Schneider is 12-7-0 with a 2.42 GAA and a .913 SV% in 20 games (19 starts) vs. Minnesota…G Keith Kinkaid is 1-0- 0 with a 3.82 GAA and a .875 SV% in two games (one start).

Did you know?

Minnesota is 6-4-3 in its last 13 games against New Jersey after posting a 1-5-4 record in the first 10 meetings between the two teams.