wild/nhl

wild gameday

9 P.M. at VANCOUVER • FSN-PLUS, 100-3-FM

Preview: Six times this season the Wild has failed to win its third consecutive game. This will be its seventh opportunity in an arena Minnesota hasn’t won in since Jan. 31, 2009. The Wild is 0-9-2 since then at Rogers, having been outscored 40-15. The Canucks are 4-5-2 in their past 11 overall and lost 4-2 in Minnesota on March 10. They are coming off a 5-2 trouncing at home by Detroit. The Wild, which has averaged 3.33 goals a game since Feb. 28, has won four of its past five overall.

Players to watch: Wild coach Mike Yeo indicated the Wild will go with the same lineup as recent games if healthy, meaning LW Jason Zucker, D Brett Clark and D Nate Prosser wouldn’t play. Niklas Backstrom, 10-3-1 in his past 14, will start. RW Devin Setoguchi has nine goals and 15 points in the past 17 games. D Ryan Suter has 19 points in the past 17 games and is plus-4 over that stretch. The Wild’s leading scorer is second among all NHL defensemen, with 21 assists and 23 points. Canucks LW Daniel Sedin has 53 points in 67 games vs. the Wild, which ranks third all-time.

Numbers: The Canucks’ power play is in an 0-for-30 funk the past 11 games. … The Wild is 3-for-46 on the power play in Vancouver over its 11-game winless streak.

Injuries: Wild D Tom Gilbert (undisclosed) didn’t practice Sunday, but Yeo expects him to play. LW Mike Rupp (lower body) is probable. G Josh Harding (symptoms related to multiple sclerosis) is out. Canucks C Ryan Kesler (foot), Zack Kassian (back) and LW David Booth (ankle) are out.

MICHAEL RUSSO