4:30 p.m. vs. Anaheim • Xcel Energy Center • FSN Plus, 100.3-FM
Looking to extend home win streak with a matinee
Preview: The Wild (19-10-1, 39 points) will try to add to its franchise-record nine-game home winning streak with an afternoon contest against the last-place Ducks (9-18-6, 24 points). Minnesota beat Anaheim 2-1 in Monday's series opener. Wednesday's early start is for TV reasons; NBC Sports Network has it as the opener of a national tripleheader with Buffalo at Pittsburgh at 7 p.m. and Los Angeles at San Jose at 9:30 p.m. FSN Plus will carry the Wild game locally.
Players to watch: Wild coach Dean Evason has alternated goalies in the past five games, and if that trend holds, rookie Kaapo Kahkonen would start Wednesday. Kahkonen's nine-game winning streak ended with a 6-0 loss at Colorado on Saturday. He is 3-0 with a 1.34 goals-against average and .941 save percentage against the Ducks this season. Nick Bjugstad has two goals and four assists in his past 10 games. … Anaheim F Troy Terry scored the Ducks' only goal Monday and is on a four-game point streak. G Ryan Miller has started five consecutive games, going 1-4.
Numbers: Since returning from a two-week COVID-19 hiatus on Feb. 16, the Wild is 13-5-1. … The Ducks have lost six of seven.
Injuries: Wild D Matt Dumba (lower body) and F Marcus Foligno (leg) are out. … Anaheim G John Gibson (lower body), D Hampus Lindholm (wrist), D Josh Mason (lower body) and RW Carter Rowney (knee) are on injured reserve. Four Ducks — D Ben Hutton, D Jacob Larsson, F Danton Heinen and G Anthony Stolarz — were added to the NHL's COVID-19 protocol Tuesday.
Randy Johnson
