The Blackhawks are stuck at the bottom of the Central Division, in the midst of a four-game slide and without their No.1 goaltender.
But that hasn't made Chicago less of a challenge in the Wild's eyes ahead of the two teams' clash Saturday night at Xcel Energy Center.
"You look at their team and what they've done in the past, it's really remarkable," winger Mikael Granlund said. "So that's a really good team, and I don't think anyone's taking them lightly."
Although there's eight points separating the two teams in the NHL pecking order, the season series has been split so far. After an impressive 5-2 win in Chciago Oct.12, the Wild was blanked 2-0 at home Nov.4; the ensuring two games in Chicago were a 4-1 loss and 2-1 win.
"They have a lot of skill," Granlund said. "They play pretty good defense, too. That's a really good team out there. It's going to be a fun battle out there."
This mentality seems especially appropriate on the heels of the 4-3 overtime loss to the Coyotes Thursday, a deflating loss considering the Wild at one point sported a 3-0 lead. Arizona ranks last in the NHL but had no problem rallying against a desperate Wild team in a tight playoff race.
"We weren't happy with last game," defenseman Jared Spurgeon said. "We had a good video session yesterday, and we sort of reset this morning and yesterday as well. This is a big game for us."
Projected lineup:
