5 p.m. vs. San Jose • FSN, 100.3-FM

Pacific leaders on a 7-game roll

Preview: The Wild is coming off its fourth 1-0 loss of the season and trying to avoid consecutive losses for the first time since Nov. 29 and Dec. 2 and consecutive regulation losses for the first time since Nov. 1 and 5. Minnesota is 15-3-2 following a loss of any kind this season, including nine straight wins. This is the start of a two-game homestand before it leaves for five games in a row. San Jose visits twice in the next 16 days. The Pacific Division leaders are 5-0-2 in their past seven. In one of its most exciting wins of the season, the Wild rallied twice from two-goal deficits to win in San Jose, 5-4, on Jan. 5.

Players to watch: Former Wild D Brent Burns is tied for fourth among all NHL skaters with 67 points. He leads all NHL defensemen with 27 goals. C Joe Pavelski is tied for 19th with 55 points and has 29 points in 33 games against the Wild. C Logan Couture has nine goals and nine assists the past 21 games. C Joe Thornton has 39 points in 42 games against the Wild. In 37 games since Dec. 7, Wild RW Mikael Granlund leads the NHL with 45 points (16 goals) and ranks 12th with 59 points in 62 games. He leads the Wild with 15 multipoint games. The Jason Zucker-Mikko-Koivu-Granlund trio has combined for 49 goals, 73 assists and 122 points since Nov. 25. Zucker, Granlund and Nino Niederreiter have a combined 61 goals.

Numbers: The Wild is 7-1-1 in its past nine games vs. San Jose at home. … The Wild has scored five or more goals 18 times this season and in 15 of the past 35 games.

Injuries: Wild LW Zach Parise (mumps) and RW Jason Pominville (mumps) are expected to return. Sharks D David Schlemko (lower body) and RW Jannik Hansen (awaiting visa) are questionable.

MICHAEL RUSSO