7 p.m. vs. Chicago • Xcel Energy Center • FSN, NBCSN, 100.3-FM
Preview: A victory would give the Wild the most wins and points in the NHL. The Wild can become the first team with 40 wins and 86 points, which would be one short of last season's 82-game total. The Wild, 4-1-1 on its eight-game homestand, plays for the final time before entering its five-day bye. The Wild has a nine-game point streak (8-0-1) against Chicago, but the lone loss came in overtime Feb. 8 in St. Paul.
Players to watch: Wild G Devan Dubnyk is 8-0 with a .949 save percentage in the regular season against the Blackhawks with Minnesota. RW Jason Pominville has 19 points in the past 15 games. Since becoming a line Nov. 25, Jason Zucker-Mikko Koivu-Mikael Granlund have a combined 43 goals, 67 assists and 110 points and are plus-84. Blackhawks RW Patrick Kane, who led the NHL in scoring last season, is tied for fifth with 60 points. He has 15 goals and 33 points in 38 games vs. Minnesota. C Artem Anisimov and RW Marian Hossa are tied for the team lead with 21 goals.
Numbers: The Wild leads the NHL with six players with at least 40 points. … Minnesota's plus-62 goal differential ranks second in the NHL and is nearly triple the next-best goal differential in the Western Conference (San Jose, plus-22). … The Wild also leads the Western Conference with 195 goals scored and 3.36 goals per game.
Injuries: Wild D Matt Dumba (knee) is questionable.
Michael Russo
