Gameday preview: Wild opens 2019-20 season in Nashville
October 3, 2019 at 4:30AM
![Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk made a save in the second period. ] CARLOS GONZALEZ • cgonzalez@startribune.com – St. Paul, MN – March 25, 2019, Xcel Energy Center, NHL, Hockey, Minnesota Wild vs. Nashville Predators](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/FUR6I5ACTFM2EFTYCGFF6U4JNM.jpg?&w=712)
Preds present a big challenge
Preview: For the fifth year in a row, the Wild will start the season on the road. Though it is 9-7-2 overall in season openers, it has won only one of eight when starting the schedule on the road. Last season, the Wild lost all four of its games against Nashville, falling twice in regulation and twice in shootouts.
Players to watch: Wild G Devan Dubnyk is 13-7-4 all-time against Nashville, with a 2.16 goals-against average and .928 save percentage. The Predators signed F Matt Duchene in the offseason to beef up their offense; he had a career-high 31 goals and tied his career high of 70 points last season with Ottawa and Columbus. … Duchene will center a line with Filip Forsberg and former Wild scoring leader Mikael Granlund.
Numbers: The Wild has only nine home games in October and November, its fewest ever. Last season, it finished 21-18-2 in road games; the 21 victories and 44 points were third-most in franchise history.
Injury: Wild D Greg Pateryn (core muscle surgery) is out.
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The Wild scored two goals late in the third period to tie the score against the Flames, completing a 2-0-1 road trip even though Kirill Kaprizov didn’t dress.
