Wild vs. Devils preview: Tough stretch continues against high-flying New Jersey

Even without Jack Hughes, the Devils will be a formidable opponent for the slumping Wild.

February 11, 2023 at 12:14AM
New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks Monday, Feb. 6, 2023, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun).
Devils star Jack Hughes, who leads the team in goals and points, is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury and will not face the Wild. (Bill Kostroun, Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

7 p.m. vs. New Jersey Devils • Xcel Energy Center • BSN, 100.3-FM

Devils update: The Devils have won two in a row since the All-Star break and five of their last six overall. They're tucked comfortably into a playoff spot, their 72 points second-best in the Metropolitan Division. D Dougie Hamilton has five goals and eight assists during a six-game point streak. Hamilton's 36 assists are tops on the team. Leading scorer Jack Hughes is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

Wild update: The Wild are 5-0-2 in their last seven meetings with the Devils, including sweeping the season series in 2021-22. RW Mats Zuccarello has 22 points in 30 career games vs. New Jersey. LW Kirill Kaprizov is on an eight-game point streak. Kaprizov has four goals and six assists during that run. His next power play goal will tie Brian Rolston (2005-06) for the single-season franchise record at 15.

about the writer

Sarah McLellan

Minnesota Wild and NHL

Sarah McLellan covers the Wild and NHL. Before joining the Star Tribune in November 2017, she spent five years covering the Coyotes for The Arizona Republic.

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