In one corner, there's Marcus Foligno, returning from a two-game suspension for his actions the last time the Wild and Winnipeg played and preparing for whatever reception he faces north of the border.
Wild faces Jets again as Marcus Foligno's suspension ends
When the teams met last week, Foligno kneed Adam Lowry at the end of their second fight of the game and was sidelined for two games by the NHL.
February 16, 2022 at 4:23PM
"It was just the heat of the battle, and we'll move on,'' said Foligno, who was suspended by the NHL for kneeing Adam Lowry during the Jets' 2-0 win on Feb. 8. "Whatever happens tomorrow, happens tomorrow, and I've got to play hockey and we've got to get two points at Winnipeg.''
In the other corner, there's the Winnipeg Jets and interim coach Dave Lowry, who wants his team to bring a heavy presence that it didn't have Monday in a 3-1 loss to Chicago.
"This one didn't have the physical component, and we've got to go find that,'' Dave Lowry said. "That's how we're going to have to play.''
That makes for an interesting backdrop for Wednesday's 6 p.m. game at Canada Life Centre in a matchup of Central Division rivals. The Wild has won two of three from Winnipeg this season, but the Jets took the last meeting, a game that featured Foligno twice fighting the coach's son and the teams combining for 40 penalty minutes.
Wild coach Dean Evason, whose team is 11-1-1 in its past 13 games, isn't pigeonholing this game into any particular category.
"I don't expect anything. I don't know what's going to happen,'' Evason said. "You see these games when there's stuff that happened the game before and it ends up being an absolute rodeo, and sometimes it's nothing.
"We want to play the game hard, play the game right and we'll see what happens.''
What happened in the last meeting was the Jets took a 1-0 lead in the first period, got under the Wild's skin and rode the hot goaltending of Connor Hellebuyck to victory. Foligno took offense to being hit in the head. He dropped the gloves with Adam Lowry in the first and third periods and was given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The suspension cost him $31,000.
"The toughest part about sitting out — the money's one thing, but it's really just hurting the team and not playing for the guys,'' Foligno said. "… Getting skated by [assistant coach] Darby [Hendrickson] — I'm pretty sick and tired of that.''
Foligno wouldn't go as far as saying the Jets found a blueprint to beat the Wild. Minnesota sits in second place in the Central Division, and its .716 points percentage trails only Colorado's .783 in the Western Conference. Winnipeg is in sixth place in the Central, and its points percentage (.522) is 11th in the conference.
"Honestly, I don't think they've figured out too much about us,'' Foligno said. "I think we played like crap in Winnipeg, and we lost 2-0.''
Foligno's linemate, Jordan Greenway, relishes a chance to flip the result.
"It's going to be fun,'' he said. "We owe 'em, for sure, so better be ready.''
Dumba out, Bjugstad close to return
Defenseman Matt Dumba missed Monday's game, didn't practice Tuesday and won't make the trip to Winnipeg because of a lower body injury suffered Saturday against Carolina. Evason said he is not yet certain how long Dumba will be out.
"There's no timeframe or anything,'' Evason said.
Forward Nick Bjugstad practiced Tuesday and is nearing a return from a broken finger that required surgery and has sidelined him since a Jan. 5 practice. "I feel close,'' he said. "There's finally light at the end of the tunnel.''
Bjugstad has not been cleared by surgeons to return to play but expects it to come in the next few days. When that happens, Evason will have a decision to make on which player comes out of the lineup.
"It's nice to have the depth and that tough decision to make,'' Evason said.
After letting 135-footer bounce in early, Fleury steadied himself in 5-3 victory.
