Wild Warmup: Minnesota vs. San Jose

The Wild Warmup is offered by Bryant Heating and Cooling

ST. PAUL — The Wild can test the primary of what it hopes are a number of season-long packing containers on Sunday night time when it hosts the San Jose Sharks at Xcel Power Heart.

Ought to the Wild win in any style, it will clinch a spot within the Stanley Cup Playoffs, scheduled to start in two weeks time. 

Whereas the postseason looks like a formality at this level, it stays a important first step and one the Wild hopes is a long term into the postseason.

Minnesota returns to motion following a possible playoff preview Saturday in St. Louis. The Blues received 6-5 in time beyond regulation, escaping with a second level after watching the Wild rally from 4-1 and 5-3 deficits within the ultimate interval of regulation. 

The results of that sport moved St. Louis one level forward of Minnesota for second place within the Central Division standings forward of what perhaps will probably be a First Spherical matchup between the golf equipment.

All that is actually left to settle at this level is who could have home-ice benefit within the collection. 

Minnesota has one sport in hand on St. Louis, a undeniable fact that solely issues ought to the Wild proceed successful. The Blues have now received eight consecutive video games and have not less than a degree in 11-straight video games coming into their contest Sunday night time in Nashville in opposition to the Predators. 

A bulk of the Wild’s schedule will come at dwelling, with six of its eight remaining video games occurring at Xcel Power Heart. Starting Sunday, every of the following 4 opponents on the Wild’s schedule at the moment sit exterior of a playoff spot. 

“We wish to get dwelling ice benefit for the playoffs little doubt,” mentioned Wild ahead Marcus Foligno. “We received slightly stint at dwelling the place there’s a variety of dwelling video games to complete off the season. Each sport we all know we’re eager to win each sport and that is our mindset and now we gotta simply look ahead to tomorrow.”

It is a important week for Minnesota if it hopes that probably collection in opposition to the Blues is to begin in St. Paul, the place the Wild has been top-of-the-line home-ice groups within the NHL this season.

“It might be good as soon as the season ends, we get to attend at dwelling and anticipate them against losing a journey day to move down right here,” mentioned Wild ahead Ryan Hartman. “However on the identical time, it is not gonna make or break our playoffs. It is playoff hockey. Clearly dwelling ice is superior. 

“It is not going to make or break us, however clearly we might like to begin at dwelling.”

The Wild enters play versus the Sharks using a 10-game dwelling level streak, going 8-0-2 throughout that span.

Marc-Andre Fleury is anticipated to earn the beginning for the Wild in aim. Fleury is coming off a implausible 34-save effort in a 3-2 time beyond regulation win in Dallas on Thursday night time, a sport the place he additionally had the first help on the successful aim in further time. 

In doing so, he grew to become simply the second Wild goaltender to have an help on an time beyond regulation aim and the eleventh to help on a aim of any sort.

In six begins in a Wild uniform, Fleury has been excellent, posting a 2.36 goals-against common and a .929 save proportion. He is seeking his second three-start successful streak since becoming a member of Minnesota on March 21.

The Wild will probably be with out Tyson Jost, who sustained a lower-body damage within the loss to St. Louis on Saturday and didn’t return. Evason mentioned Jost in all probability might have returned to that sport and will probably go on Sunday, however mentioned relaxation and getting the damage absolutely healed will take precedent. 

Connor Dewar is anticipated to play in his stead.

Minnesota will even be with out defensemen Matt Dumba and Jon Merrill in addition to ahead Jordan Greenway, all of whom are nursing upper-body accidents.  

Former Wild goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen began Saturday night time in Dallas, that means veteran James Reimer appears prone to begin versus the Wild. 

Reimer is 18-16-8 with a 2.79 goals-against common and a .914 save proportion in 44 video games (42 begins) this season. He stopped 27 of 28 photographs in a 4-1 victory at Xcel Power Heart on Nov. 16.

Greenway had a pair of targets in a 5-2 Wild victory at SAP Heart on Dec. 9 in the one different assembly.

Timo Meier leads the Sharks’ offense with 33 targets, 40 assists and 73 factors. Tomas Hertl has 61 factors and Logan Couture has 50 factors.