Wild gameday
6 p.m. at N.Y. Rangers • FSN, 100.3-FM
Preview: The Wild, after a 3-7-3 January, opened February with a 5-3 loss to the Islanders on Tuesday. The team has lost eight of its past nine (1-7-1). It has scored nine goals its past three road games (it is 1-2 in those games). The Rangers, who lost 5-2 in Minnesota in December, are not only 8-8 in their past 16 games, they've been on a win one-lose one pattern those 16 games. The bad news? They're coming off a 3-2 loss to the Devils.
Players to watch: Coach Mike Yeo said he's leaning toward starting G Devan Dubnyk, who was pulled for the first time this season Tuesday. RW Charlie Coyle is on a career-best four-game goal streak and has eight of his 14 goals in 19 games since Dec. 21. RW Jason Pominville ended a 16-game goal drought Tuesday and hit the 600-point mark in his career. LW Zach Parise leads the Wild with 15 goals and 36 points in 48 games against the Rangers. Derick Brassard and Mats Zuccarello have a combined 35 goals and 72 points for the Rangers. C Derek Stepan has had a down season with nine goals and 21 points in 40 games. D Ryan McDonagh, the 2007 Minnesota Mr. Hockey, has 24 points in 50 games.
Numbers: The Rangers average the sixth-most goals per game in the NHL (2.84) but give up the 15th most (2.60). Their special teams have been poor, ranking 24th on the power play (17 percent) and 25th on the penalty kill (78.4 percent); the Wild ranks 22nd and 24th, respectively.
Injuries: Rangers LW Rick Nash (knee) is questionable.
Michael Russo
