Gameday preview: Wild at Detroit
March 23, 2014 at 12:54AM
6:30 P.M. at DETROIT • NBCSN, 100.3-FM
Preview: The Wild is 2-3-4 in its past nine games. The Red Wings have won four of five overall and are 8-0-2 at home since Jan. 20. The Wild is 3-3 in its past six in Detroit after winning only once in regulation in a stretch of 13 games there.
Players to watch: Wild C Mikko Koivu scored his first goal since Dec. 27 on Saturday, snapping a 13-game drought. LW Zach Parise has no goals in the past five games. D Ryan Suter has 32 assists, tied for the team lead. Since Jan. 20, Red Wings F Gustav Nyquist leads the NHL with 16 goals.
Numbers: The Wild is 4-3-1 against Detroit over the past two seasons … The Wild is 4-4-2 in the second half of back-to-backs and 14-11-4 against the East. … The Red Wings rank second in the NHL with 341 man games lost to injury.
Injuries: Wild F Jason Zucker (quad) and D Keith Ballard (groin) are out. Red Wings C Stephen Weiss (sports hernia), LW Henrik Zetterberg (back), C Pavel Datsyuk (knee), F Dan Cleary (knee), RW Tomas Jurco (ribs), F Justin Abdelkader (leg), F Joakim Andersson (foot) and D Jonathan Ericsson (finger) are out.
MICHAEL RUSSO
about the writer
Helped by that role reversal, Minnesota defeated defending NHL champ Florida and is testing the limits of history after playing 360 minutes this season without trailing.
