7 p.m. vs. Winnipeg Jets • Xcel Energy Center • BSN, 100.3-FM
Gameday preview: Wild vs. Winnipeg
Jets captain Blake Wheeler might miss the game after entering the league's COVID-19 protocols Monday.
October 18, 2021 at 11:27PM
Wild update: After a 2-0 start on the road, the Wild returns home to Xcel Energy Center, where it's had plenty of success recently. Last season, the Wild went 21-5-2 in St. Paul — a stretch that included a franchise-record 11-game win streak. LW Kirill Kaprizov had a team-high 16 goals and 28 points at home. G Cam Talbot went 12-2-2 with a 2.50 goals-against average and .912 save percentage. The Wild is expected to play the same lineup that won games in Anaheim and Los Angeles over the weekend.
Jets update: Although Winnipeg is expected to contend for one of the top spots in the Central Division, the Jets are off to a bumpy start. They're 0-2, getting dumped 4-1 by Anaheim and narrowly losing 4-3 to San Jose. In that game, Winnipeg blew a 2-0 lead. During the offseason, the team bolstered its defense by bringing in Brenden Dillion and former Gopher Nate Schmidt. Another familiar face from the Gophers, Blake Wheeler, could be out for Tuesday's game; the Jets announced on Monday the captain and Plymouth native entered the NHL's COVID protocols.
Widely known that Minnesota sports fans are among the most suffering in the nation, this holiday season has the chance to become special, given the recent success of the Vikings, Wolves, Lynx and Wild.
