Matt Cooke, Mikko Koivu closing in on milestones; Star Tribune Chalk Talk, Chat on Tuesday

After a pair of intense back-to-back games at Dallas and St. Louis, Wild coach Mike Yeo predictably gave most his big-minute players a mandatory practice off.

With the Wild near the start of 20 games in the final 37 days of the season, I'd expect a lot of this down the stretch as Yeo weighs the importance of rest vs. work. I was shooting the breeze with a coach the other day and he too was saying the most important thing this time of year is rest.

Besides keeping players fresh, rest, the coach said, is the most critical thing when trying to avoid injuries down the stretch. Scheduled to practice today for the Wild were Erik Haula, Cody McCormick, Nate Prosser, Keith Ballard, Mike Rupp, Justin Fontaine, Clayton Stoner, Ilya Bryzgalov and Darcy Kuemper.

Couple housekeeping items:

1. The final Star Tribune Chalk Talk with Wes Walz and I is Tuesday night prior to the Oilers-Wild game. If you want to come to the Chalk Talk and attend the game, tickets are at www.wild.com/chalktalk.

2. I will be hosting a live Star Tribune chat right here at 2 p.m. Tuesday. Please join.

3. On Wednesday, from 12-3, I will be co-hosting Common's show with Brandon Mileski on KFAN (100.3-FM). Lots of hockey talk, which is the best kind of talk.

The Wild, 0-1-1 in its past two, hosts the Oilers, who have won two of their past three, in the second game of its four-game homestand Tuesday night at 7. The Wild is 20-2 in its past 22 home games against the Oilers and 24-11-2 all-time against them at home.

Oilers coach Dallas Eakins said today that goalie Viktor Fasth and defenseman Oscar Klefbom will debut on the Oilers' four-game road trip. Eakins didn't necessarily say Minnesota, I don't think, and the Oilers are hitting the road this afternoon for four games.

If Klefbom plays vs. the Wild, it'll be the NHL debut for the 2011 first-rounder. He's one of Jonas Brodin's best buds.

Fasth, if he plays, it'll be his Oilers debut after being acquired from Anaheim last Tuesday -- the day Bryzgalov was traded from Edmonton to Minnesota. If Fasth plays over Ben Scrivens against the Wild, it'll be Fasth's first game since Nov. 18. He's been hurt all year. He won 15 games as a rookie for the Ducks last year.

Kuemper is expected to start against the Oilers.

Keith Carney, Andrew Brunette and Matt Cullen were the others. With his family on hand, Cooke will be honored before Tuesday's game with the customary silver stick from the Wild and a crystal from the NHL. NHL official Jim Gregory will be on hand from the league.

Cooke, 35, has collected 162 goals and 384 points, a plus-61, 2,013 hits and 1,120 penalty minutes in 999 regular-season games over 15 years. He ranks 10th among active players in hits, 13th in penalty minutes and 28th in games. He has played another 97 playoff games and won a Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2009.

Also, captain Mikko Koivu is now up to 435 points, putting him two from tying and three from passing Marian Gaborik to become the Wild's all-time leading scorer. Koivu has 38 points in 49 games against Edmonton, tied for his most against any opponent.