Preview: The Wild opens a four-game trip against teams that have started the season 6-8-2. The Wild went 0-3-1 at New Jersey, the Islanders, Boston and Buffalo last season and went 13-16-3 against the Eastern Conference. The Wild, which lost 7-4 in New Jersey last season, is 1-5-3 all-time at the Devils, 5-8-5 all-time against them.

Players to watch: Wild LW Zach Parise is still searching for the elusive 300th goal. Maybe there's no better place for him to get it than New Jersey, where he began his NHL career before signing with the Wild. Parise has a goal and four assists in five meetings with his former team. RW Charlie Coyle and D Ryan Suter have points in all four games this season. C Eric Staal leads the Wild with three goals. Devils LW Taylor Hall, acquired in the offseason, has 11 points in 18 games vs. the Wild. RW Kyle Palmieri leads the Devils with two goals.

Numbers: The Wild has won three games when the opponent scored first. That occurred five times in 36 occasions (5-25-6) last season. … The Devils are averaging a league-low 1.5 goals per game.

Injuries: Wild D Jared Spurgeon (upper body) and C Erik Haula (lower body) didn't practice Friday. D Marco Scandella, who missed Thursday's game because of illness, did. If Haula can't play, the Wild will either need to dress seven defensemen or call up a forward (rookie Joel Eriksson Ek was held out of Iowa's game Friday night in case the Wild needs a body Saturday or Sunday). Devils D Jon Merrill (finger) is out and F Sergey Kalinen (sick) is questionable.

Michael Russo