Minnesota put 27 shots on Flames goaltender Chad Johnson, but he stopped them all for his first shutout of the season.
"Not a good one for us. We definitely owe these guys," said Wild forward Charlie Coyle. "We want to get back to the way we know how to play and playing physical in our own way, using our speed."
Minnesota is coming off a 5-4 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, a game that started a four-game, 10-day swing through Canada that continues on to Edmonton on Sunday and Toronto on Wednesday.
Coyle said it's important for the Wild to get back to its game against the Flames. It's been rare for Minnesota, which has allowed the second-fewest goals in the NHL entering play on Thursday, to be so loose in its own zone.
The Wild has also been surrendering too many odd-man rush chances to its opponents over the past 10 days, a point of emphasis in practice the past two days in Calgary.
"We're looking forward to [Friday], getting back into it," Coyle said. "I think everyone is excited to show what we can do and what kind of team we are, and get back to the way we know how to play and what makes us successful.
"It's important to get this road trip steered in the right direction."
It won't be easy against Johnson, who helped the Flames to a 3-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs here on Wednesday night. Since shutting out the Wild last month, he's added two more shutouts to his ledger.
The Calgary native has a sterling 2.06 goals against average and .930 save percentage in 13 starts this season. He's won four of his past five starts, allowing just three goals total in those four wins.
Devan Dubnyk, another goaltender with ties to the Calgary area, is expected to get the start for the Wild.
