After back-to-back losses to wrap up last week's road trip, the Wild returns home for one game against the Senators on Tuesday night – a chance to recalibrate in its first matchup vs. an Eastern Conference opponent since March 1, 2020.
"We don't care where we play or when we play or who we play," coach Dean Evason said. "We should be playing the same way. Having said that, our crowds have been absolutely phenomenal and understand it's going to be a big crowd here tonight.
"It'll be nice for our group to get back here and feel that energy that our crowd provides for us. We're playing against a really good hockey club that plays hard every single night, so that's what we have to do as well."
Even though he practiced Monday and skated Tuesday morning, defenseman Alex Goligoski (upper-body injury) won't play.
The Wild is keeping its four call-ups (forwards Adam Beckman, Connor Dewar and Kyle Rau and defenseman Calen Addison) in the lineup.
"They're all still in, so they're conducting themselves extremely well," Evason said.
Not only is the Wild coming off consecutive 4-1 losses, to Seattle and Colorado, but the team's special teams' play has also struggled. The power play has just one goal in its last 15 opportunities. As for the penalty kill, the Wild has surrendered at least one goal in all but one of its eight games.
"It comes down to special teams," defenseman Dmitry Kulikov said. "When we have a power play, if we don't score, it needs to generate some momentum for the team. We've had some good chances on the power play. But I think it should be more consistent."
