GDT: 12/22/16 - Wild vs. Les Habitants - 6:30PM CT / 2:30AM Suomi - FSN

[Minnesota]

vs.

NHL.com

MONTREAL -- The Minnesota Wild will get a stiff road test on Thursday night when it faces the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre.

Montreal has won 15 of its 19 games on home ice this season and has gained one point in two of its losses there.

Minnesota enters the game riding an eight-game winning streak; a victory would match the franchise's longest-ever streak at nine.

Thursday's game will mark the Wild's 10th trip to Montreal all-time, with Minnesota having earned at least a point in five of the previous nine meetings there. The Wild won 4-1 at Bell Centre last season and owns a three-game winning streak overall against the Canadiens, the longest stretch against Montreal in franchise history.

Montreal will be without defenseman Andrei Markov for a second consecutive game. The veteran blue liner is nursing a lower-body injury and isn't likely to return until after Christmas.

The Canadiens also announced that goaltender Carey Price will get the start. It will be his seventh consecutive start between the pipes.

If, as expected, Devan Dubnyk is in goal, Thursday's game would feature two of the NHL's top three in both save percentage and goals-against average.

Go Wild! ​

Click to read more...

 

[Wabit]

2 of the best statistical goalies so far this year. So it'll be 4-5 by the end of the 2nd and the backups decide the game? kinda

Net front presence and good shots from the point. Hope for a screen and redirects.

Price plays the puck so well that the Wild might have a hard time establishing a good forecheck. He can play like a 3rd d-man for chip and chase hockey.

It'll be a good test of where the Wild stand as team.

 

[W75]

Gonna watch this one in the morning. Next one is the ham baking game though!

Kind of scared, or could be if they didn't already have that many points and a great stretch behind. Now we can just enjoy the moment, no extra pressure, suppose.

Tough game ahead!

 

[Minnesota]

Winning goalie gets the Vezina.

 

[W75]

And defenseman gets the Norris?

Doh, forgot those Karlssons and Burnses. Well, winning defenseman almost gets Norris, again.

 

[123TripleDoge]

i'm kinda scurrred D:

 

[gphr513]

Dubs v. Price!

This should be a good test. 2 points would be most excellent.

 

[57special]

They are basically us. Maybe a bit faster.

 

[Minnesota]

They are basically us. Maybe a bit faster.

They have a higher GF/GP, we have a lower GA/GP.

They have a better PP, we have a better PK.

We're pretty close... I'd say we're slightly better defensively while they're slightly better offensively.

 

[Wabit]

Don't forget the Habs have Galchenyuk, DD, and Shaw all on IR. They are pretty weak at center right now. Staal/Koivu should have the advantage.

 

[W75]

Really sounds like a great match up. Gotta reevaluate could I be able to watch this one live

 

[gphr513]

They are basically us. Maybe a bit faster.

So it will be like two mirrors facing each other?

Hopefully the world doesn't implode!

 

[W75]

So it will be like two mirrors facing each other?

Hopefully the world doesn't implode!

Red and white jerseys, Saku was their captain once, Mikko is ours, two Vezina runners, Suter and Weber played as a pair earlier...

It's a trap!!!! dot GIF

 

[Nharris31]

Listening to Montreal radio. They have zero clue about the Wild.Also they guy started his show of with a kind of racist segment.Now I kind of understand why PK isn't their anymore glad he isn't

 

[57special]

Red and white jerseys, Saku was their captain once, Mikko is ours, two Vezina runners, Suter and Weber played as a pair earlier...

It's a trap!!!! dot GIF

Don't forget Torrey Mitchell.

And Marco Scandella is not only a Montreal native growing up blocks from the Forum, but his uncle was a Hab, Sergio Momesso.

Also, they have the second best goaltender in the world, we have the best!

 

[Engebretson]

Dubnyk vs Price: The Battle for Main Boards Supremacy

 

[Dee Oh Cee]

I've always thought that we were a similar team to Montreal too. Gallager is fun to watch...thought he was kind of Parise-lite. Plus he wears #11.

 

[StealthClobber]

They have a higher GF/GP, we have a lower GA/GP.

Well that'll happen when Montreal has been on the giving and receiving end of 10 goal games.

 

[Wild11MN]

0-0. Shootout goes so long eventually the goalies shoot and Price scores on Dubnyk to win it.

 

[Minnesota]

New score prediction: Wild 1, Habs 17

 

[W75]

Don't forget Torrey Mitchell.

And Marco Scandella is not only a Montreal native growing up blocks from the Forum, but his uncle was a Hab, Sergio Momesso.

Also, they have the second best goaltender in the world, we have the best!

Jose Theodore, Guillame Latendresse..

E: Also



PPS. R.I.P. Zarkus Poussa

 

[Drewcifer]

Am I imagining it or do we play Montreal the week before Christmas every year now?

 

[Jesus comma Brodin]

Tough one here. 2-1 or 3-1 with an ENG type of affair.

Les go Wilds

 

[Dampland]

i'm kinda scurrred D:

me too ......

Wild winning streak : check
Wild goalie on fire : check
Wild finally getting some media notice : check
Wild playing in televised game with major hockey market : check

MOST LIKELY RESULT: Wild come out slow, fail to show up, and lose so badly people make GIFs of our failed shootout efforts.

 

[keppel146]

I'm not scared, and I actually think we'll come out guns a blazing. Wild win this one.