Gameday preview: Wild at Philadelphia

Preview: The Wild ended Pittsburgh's seven-game point streak Thursday with a trip-opening 4-2 win. The Wild now opens a front end of a back-to-back (plays at Ottawa on Sunday); the Flyers played in Toronto on Friday night. The Wild typically struggles against the Flyers, going 6-11-2 all-time and being outscored 14-7 its past four visits to Philly (1-3). The Wild is 3-8 all-time in the City of Brotherly Love.

Players to watch: Center Eric Staal is coming off his first three-point game with the Wild and has at least a point in six of his past seven games. He has 17 goals and 37 points in 48 career games against the Flyers. D Ryan Suter is tied for second among NHL defensemen with 11 points and ranks second among defensemen in average ice time (27 minutes, 18 seconds a game). RW Jason Pominville has 30 points in 34 games against Philadelphia. Flyers teammates Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek were tied for eighth in the NHL with 15 points apiece before Friday's games. RW Wayne Simmonds had six goals.

Numbers: Before Friday, the Flyers had the NHL's third-most goals (47) but gave up the second-most (50). They were converting 28.3 percent of their power plays, second-best in the NHL. … The Wild has allowed a league-low 24 goals.

Injuries: Wild LW Zach Parise (foot), D Marco Scandella (ankle) and C Zac Dalpe (knee) are out. Flyers C Boyd Gordon (upper body) is out and D Andrew MacDonald (lower body) is day-to-day.

Michael Russo