Wild gameday
7 p.m. at St. Louis • FSN, 100.3-FM
Preview: Hockey Day Minnesota ends with the Wild playing on the road for the first time. It's the end to the Wild's three-game trip that started with losses in Brooklyn and Manhattan. The Wild has scored 16 goals during a 1-8-1 stretch. The Blues are 2-2-1 in their past five but have scored five goals in that span. The Wild leads the season series 2-0-1 and won in St. Louis on Dec. 31. Since, the Wild is 3-9-3 with 28 goals. Tyler Graovac, who has played one game for the Wild this season before sports hernia surgery, might be recalled from Iowa.
Players to watch: Wild RW Charlie Coyle has four goals in the past five games. C Mikko Koivu has no goals and 22 shots in the past 16 games. LW Thomas Vanek had no shots in five of the past eight games. C Mikael Granlund has one empty-net goal in the past 32 games. Blues star Vladimir Tarasenko has one goal in the past 11 games. G Brian Elliott is 6-3-2 since replacing injured Jake Allen despite receiving 2.09 goals of offensive support per game.
Numbers: The Wild is 7-1-1 on Hockey Day Minnesota, including six consecutive victories. … The Wild has been shorthanded 119 times, fewest in the NHL, and has given up 24 power-play goals, tied for third fewest in the NHL.
Injuries: Blues LW Jaden Schwartz (ankle) is doubtful. Allen (knee) and LW Steve Ott (hamstring) are out.
Michael Russo
