GDT: Game 52 - Wild @ Stars - 7PM Central / 3AM Finland - FSN

[Bazeek]

Nino - Staal - Ennis
Zucker - Koivu - Granlund
Parise - Eriksson-Ek - Coyle
Foligno - Cullen - Stewart/Winnik

Suter - Spurgeon
Brodin - Dumba
Reilly - Prosser

Stalock




Janmark - Seguin - Radulov
Benn - Faksa - Pitlick
Elie - Spezza - Ritchie
Roussel - Dickinson - Shore

Lindell - Klingberg
Hamhuis - Pateryn
Johns - Honka

Lehtonen

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The Opponent

The Stars are coming off a 4-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday and are locked into the Western Conference's top wild-card position with the Wild hot on their heels. Defenseman John Klingberg, fresh off his first NHL All-Star Game appearance, leads the team with 49 points.

The Stars' big offensive guns are also firing. Tyler Seguin leads the team with 24 goals, while Alexander Radulov and Jamie Benn are close behind with 20 apiece. Along with Klingberg, these three forwards round out the team's leaders for both assists and points.

Goaltender Ben Bishop, who has started the past 17 games at the American Airlines Center, will not play Saturday after taking a puck to the face while on the bench Thursday. Instead, Kari Lehtonen will get the start. In 26 career games against the Wild, Lehtonen has posted 10 wins with a 2.82 GAA and save percentage of .897.

Last season, he went 0-3-1 against Minnesota with a 2.78 GAA and .892 save percentage.

The Stars will be without a few other key players Saturday. Antoine Roussel may return after missing two games with a nasal infection but will ultimately be a game-time decision. Marc Methot and former Wild forward Martin Hanzal will miss Saturday's contest with injuries.

The Wild is riding an eight-game point streak against the Stars, most recently picking up a 4-2 win over Dallas on Dec. 27 at Xcel Energy Center. Jason Zucker and Mikael Granlund each scored a goal and an assist to lead the Wild into the winner's column.

Alex Stalock, who will likely suit up for Minnesota on Saturday following Devan Dubnyk's Friday night win over the Vegas Golden Knights, made 24 saves in that game.

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Big one, tonight. Hopefully a relatively sedate 3rd period last night lets them carry the momentum all the way down to Texas. This would be an ideal game to keep exorcising our road demons in.

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[57special]

tough game. I don't usually hope for bad things to happen to people, but i hope Roussell stubs his toe...like really badly, in the dressing room.

 

[Minnesota]

Thanks for the GDT!

Gotta score early to carry over that momentum from last night. Koivu's been disappointing on the score sheet; I'd like to see him step up.

 

[57special]

It'll come for Koivu. he's been playing well, besides the 3 v3's.

 

[gphr513]

Please, please win. Meow, meow, meow.

 

[Bazeek]

Sounds like we get Lehtonen tonight. Can't say I'm disappointed.

 

[Wild11MN]

YUGE game.

 

[Wabit]

It'll come for Koivu. he's been playing well, besides the 3 v3's.

Had a Pommer flashback from a couple of years ago, when couldn't buy a goal for the first 20+ games of the year.

Koivu's last 20 games (2g/9a, +6) have been better than the 20 games (0g/7a, -7) before that. So I guess things are improving.

 

[Drewcifer]

I don't expect the Wild to win tonight, but if they do it may be a sign that they are turning the corner.

 

[Digitalbooya]

Crucial game. If we win, we leapfrog Dallas and still have a game in hand. Not to mention we would then be 2 points back of St. Louis with two games in hand on them.

 

[The Enemy Within]

Well Wild, let's see what you can do. Hopefully we play a good game tonight. Dallas has been really up and down so hopefully we hit them on the right night.

 

[Wabit]

The way the Wild have been this year I'm not expecting much tonight. Look great one game, lay an egg the next seems to be about par for the course. Back end of a back-to-back, big win last night, some travel, Superbowl on some players minds (simply because it's in the Cities), Dallas is rested.

I want a regulation win, but am hoping for a loser point.

 

[Wabit]

Cullen getting the night off?

 

[57special]

Wild not clicking yet. Too many giveaways.

 

[57special]

Good to see Granlund shoot there

 

[Wabit]

Staal with a bad turnover in the slot.

 

[57special]

Dallas is a half step faster. If something doesn't change they are going to score soon. Wild are playing dumb, and giving away the puck.

 

[57special]

Some needlessly cute and risky plays in our own zone

 

[Wabit]

Open lane to the goal and Staal tries a no look pass to nobody?

 

[Wild11MN]

Not a whole lot of action so far.

 

[Wabit]

Nobody wants to shoot, over-passing, and not passing well. Hope they wake up in the intermission.

 

[HwT]

 

[57special]

Tv crew seems to think this was a decent period. Don't agree.

 

[Wild11MN]

That was a dangerous shift. You could tell everyone was gassed.

 

[HwT]

Exciting start to the second period. Also, I just have to praise Prosser. The guy is playing so incredible well for a 650k player.