6 P.M. AT PITTSBURGH • NBCSN, 100.3-FM
Preview: The Wild is winless in five consecutive games and has lost 11 of 13 games (2-7-4) and 16 of its past 23 (7-11-5). The Penguins are 2-2 in January. The Wild is 10-5-1 all-time against the Penguins, 6-2 in Pittsburgh.
Players to watch: Penguins C Evgeni Malkin is tied for third in the NHL with 47 points and tied for eighth with 19 goals. C Sidney Crosby is second with 44 points, but he only has 12 goals — three fewer than Wild leader Jason Zucker. Wild LW Nino Niederreiter has no goals in the past 12 games. LW Matt Cooke scored a goal Sunday in Chicago, his first point since Oct. 28 (he was scoreless since returning to the Wild lineup Dec. 20 before the goal). G Niklas Backstrom has allowed 24 goals in his past seven starts.
Injuries: Wild G Darcy Kuemper (lower body), D Marco Scandella (upper body), C Mikael Granlund (wrist surgery) and D Keith Ballard (facial fractures, concussion) are out. Penguins LW Pascal Dupuis (blood clots), D Olli Maata (thyroid), LW Blake Comeau (hand/wrist) and RW Patric Hornqvist (foot) are out.
