Wild at Ducks game preview: Broadcast info, stats, analysis
Sarah McLellan’s take: The Wild have a chance to answer St. Louis and Vegas after both gained ground in the Western Conference playoff race over the past two days.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
March 19, 2024 at 12:57AM
9 p.m. Tuesday at Anaheim
TV; radio: ESPN+/Hulu; 100.3 FM
Stats and analytics: Tap here.
Sarah McLellan’s analysis:
Opening bell: The standings had quite the makeover while the Wild had a two-day break during this road trip. St. Louis passed them, and Vegas widened its lead to five points for the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference. But the Wild (33-27-8) can answer with a back-to-back that starts against Anaheim. Since getting blanked 2-0 by the Wild last Thursday at Xcel Energy Center, the Ducks (23-42-3) were shut out again by Winnipeg and lost to St. Louis.
Watch him: Wild C Marco Rossi kick-started the Wild’s rally last game in St. Louis by snapping an 11-game goalless skid. Rossi’s 18 goals are second among NHL rookies behind the 21 from Chicago’s Connor Bedard. Only LW Kirill Kaprizov has tallied more goals in a single season as a Wild rookie than Rossi has; Kaprizov set a franchise record with 27 in 2021.
Injuries: Wild C Joel Eriksson Ek (lower body) and D Jared Spurgeon (hip/back). Ducks D Radko Gudas (upper body), LW Brock McGinn (upper body), C Mason McTavish (lower body) and C Trevor Zegras (ankle).
Forecast: This is a favorable matchup for the Wild, and they need to take advantage of it because the rest of the week will be much tougher; Los Angeles and St. Louis are on deck. What led to the Wild’s shutout against Anaheim last Thursday? Keeping the puck away from the Ducks. D Zach Bogosian opened the scoring in the first period, Kaprizov tacked on an insurance goal in the second and G Marc-Andre Fleury needed to make just 16 saves. Spending as much time as possible in Anaheim’s zone would be a good idea for the Wild — not only to defeat the Ducks but also to rekindle the Wild’s offense, which has maxed out at two goals in the past two games.
Injuries are in play again, but the improved reaction to them — and to any adversity — has the team on a run toward franchise records.
