vs 
Storylines for the Game
The Wild are traditionally a low scoring team. Saturday night's game against the Lightning was an abnormality that probably will not be repeated for the rest of the season at least. The Wild scored 7 goals in one game, a Nyquist Explosion without the Nyquist if you will. Will this continue? Probably not. But it would be cool if it did.
That picture is just one of eight already this season, as Rick Nash is second in the league with eight(8!) goals so far. He is a goal scoring threat every time he is on the ice and the defensively sound Wild are going to have their hands full keeping him from the puck all night.
Historically, at least the last few years, the Wild are darn near unbeatable at home. Saturday night's thrashing of the Lightning was one of what will probably be many wins there this year. On the road, however, the Wild are historically quite a bit worse. Last year they were middle-of-the-pack away from the Xcel Energy Center and this year the Wild are 1-2-0. This needs to change if a long playoff run is going to be made.
This GDT is full of history lessons, because Henrik Lundqvist is one of the best goalies in the NHL the last few years. This season, however, he has been anything but. Posting career-low numbers (see below for exact figures), he needs to turn it around if the Rangers want to repeat the performance of last year's Stanley Cup run. Let's just hope the beginning isn't against us.
This game is significant in the eyes of many people around this wonderful state. The Rangers employ two of the best Minnesotans currently in the NHL with St Paul's Ryan McDonagh and Hastings' Derek Stepan. Stepan is still out with an injury, so the Rangers' newly named Captain, McDonagh, is who many will be watching. Arguably one of, if not the, best defenders ever born and raised in Minnesota, McDonagh is the epitome of many young dreamers hoping to make the NHL. Add in all the Wild's representatives, like Parise, Vanek, Suter, Carter, and anyone else with a connection to the state, and this game is going to be a good one to watch for Minnesotans everywhere.
If you think you know who will win the game, go to Gman's Inaugural Prediction Game for potential bragging rights later. Or mockery.
Lineups
Minnesota Wild
4-2-0 | 8p
19GF | 6GA
1-2-0 on the Road
Last Ten: 4-2-0
Fourth place in the Central Division | Ninth place in Western Conference | Three points out of a wildcard playoff spot
Leading Scorers
Zach Parise
6GP | 3g | 4a | 7p | +8 | 17PIM
Jason Pominville (center)
6GP | 2g | 3a | 5p | +5 | 0PIM
Jared Spurgeon
6GP | 2g | 3a | 5p | +8 | 2PIM
Darcy Kuemper will probably start
5GS | 4-1-0 | .81GAA*Leads League 3+ starts | .966SV%*Leads League 3+ starts | 3 SO *Leads League
Parise - Granlund - Pominville
Vanek - Koivu - Coyle
Nino - Haula - Fontaine
Cooke - Carter - Zucker
*Pairings subject to change*
Suter - Brodin
Scandella - Spurgeon
Prosser - Dumba
Ballard* - Folin*
*Are sick and did not make the trip to New York
Kuemper
Backstrom
New York Rangers
4-4-0 | 8p
22GF | 26GA
2-2-0 at Home
Last Ten: 4-4-0
Seventh in the Metropolitan Division | Two points out of a wildcard playoff spot
Leading Scorers
Rick nash
8GP | 8g | 1a | 9p | +5 | 4PIM
Martin St. Louis
8GP | 1g | 5a | 6p | +3 | 0PIM
Chris Kreider
8GP | 2g | 4a | 6p | +4 | 23PIM
Henrik Lundqvist might start
7GS | 4-3-0 | 3.14GAA | .895SV% | 1 SO
Kreider - Hayes - Nash
Zuccarello - Brassard - St. Louis
Hagelin - Moore - Duclair
Glass - Mueller - Stempniak
McDonagh - Girardi
Staal - Klein
Moore - Hunwick
Lundqvist
Talbot
Last edited by a moderator:
