6 P.M. AT BOSTON • NBCSN, 100.3-FM

Preview: The Wild visits last year's President Trophy winners in the back end of a back-to-back. The Wild is 11-2-1 all-time vs. the Bruins and lost there last season for the first time in history by a 4-1 score. The Wild is 6-1 all-time in Boston and catch the Bruins without giant defenseman Zdeno Chara. They are a surprising 5-5 this season.

Players to watch: Wild G Niklas Backstrom might make his second start of the season. He lost 2-1 at Los Angeles on Oct. 19. Backstrom is 4-0-1 all-time against the Bruins with a 0.98 goals-against average, .969 save percentage and two shutouts. LW Thomas Vanek has 30 goals and 62 points in 55 games against Boston. RW Jason Pominville has 44 points in 51 games against Boston and LW Zach Parise has 18 points in 27 games. Bruins RW Loui Eriksson has 27 points in 29 games against the Wild. G Tuukka Rask is 2-1-1 against the Wild with a 1.68 goals-against average. C David Krejci leads the Bruins with eight points.

Numbers: This is part of a stretch in which the Wild plays the East seven times in 18 days. The Wild earned points in 21 of 32 games against the East last season. … The Wild ranked first in 5-on-5 goals for/against ratio at 4.00 heading into Monday's game at New York.

Injuries: Wild D Keith Ballard (sick) and D Christian Folin (sick) are out. Chara (knee) is out for the Bruins, as is D Kevan Miller (upper body).

MICHAEL RUSSO