Wild gameday

Last update: December 11, 2007 - 12:12 AM

Preview: The Wild, continuing its five-game trip with the first of three in California, has won five of seven, stopping a two-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory at Columbus on Saturday. The Sharks won the final three meetings last season, outscoring the Wild, 8-2. The Sharks are 4-1-2 in their past seven, all of which were one-goal games.

Players to watch: LW Aaron Voros has scored five goals, four of which were tiebreakers. LW Brian Rolston, who has two goals and five points in the past five games, notched a hat trick in San Jose on Nov. 5, 2005. C Pavol Demitra has 25 points in 31 career games vs. San Jose. Sharks G Evgeni Nabokov, who has started every game this season, was 3-1 against the Wild last season and is 7-8-2 with a 2.22 goals against average all-time vs. the Wild. C Jeremy Roenick has 12 points in 15 games vs. the Wild. C Joe Thornton leads the Sharks with 35 points in 28 games and has figured in 49.3 percent of his team's goals. San Jose's second-leading scorers (Roenick and Milan Michalek) have just 14 points apiece.

Numbers: The Wild is 11-12-2 all-time vs. the Sharks, 6-5-1 in San Jose. ... The Sharks are 4-6-2 at home. San Jose ranks first overall on the penalty kill and 24th at home on power plays.

Injuries: Sharks LW Ryan Clowe (knee) and C Marcel Goc (back) are out. LW Milan Michalek (elbow) and RW Mike Grier (groin) are day-to-day. Wild D/W Petteri Nummelin (head/nose) is available. C Mikko Koivu (fibula) is out.

MICHAEL RUSSO

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