The Wild haven't had much success at home, but they'll have plenty of opportunity to change that beginning Thursday when the team plays the first of seven in a row at Xcel Energy Center against the Penguins.
Wild begin seven-game homestand vs. Penguins without Marc-Andre Fleury; Tyson Jost returns
Both Pittsburgh and Minnesota have struggled early in the NHL season.
November 17, 2022 at 10:49PM
"It's going to be massive," forward Tyson Jost said. "We need to make this a hard building to play in. Our fans are great. It's a hostile environment. So, we need to feed off that energy."
This homestand is kicking off without goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.
He suffered an upper-body injury Tuesday at Nashville and was placed on injured reserve. The Wild recalled Zane McIntyre from Iowa in the American Hockey League to back up Filip Gustavsson.
"Even if Marc-Andre Fleury was still in the lineup, we have a lot of confidence in Gus and we've talked about it that he was going to get some starts," coach Dean Evason said.
"Not that we projected anything down the road. We're basically playing every second day here, so he was going to play regardless. Maybe he'll get a few more; obviously, it depends on how long Flower's out. But I know the team feels very good, we certainly feel very good, that he'll get the job done."
Gustavsson taking over the crease isn't the only lineup change the Wild will make.
Jost is also penciled in after sitting three games as a healthy scratch. The winger has zero goals and three assists in 11 games.
"I just want to go in and just play my game and just be true to who I am," Jost said.
Projected lineup:
Kirill Kaprizov-Frederick Gaudreau-Mats Zuccarello
Brandon Duhaime-Joel Eriksson Ek-Marcus Foligno
Mason Shaw-Connor Dewar-Matt Boldy
Sam Steel-Marco Rossi-Tyson Jost
Jake Middleton-Jared Spurgeon
Jonas Brodin-Matt Dumba
Jon Merrill-Calen Addison
Filip Gustavsson
Key numbers:
0: Goals by the Wild's power play in their past 10 chances.
4: Game point streaks for Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello.
8: Goals for the Wild over their past six games.
19: Penalty kills for the Wild in their last 20 shorthanded situations.
.947: Save percentage for Gustavsson over his last three games.
About the Penguins:
The Penguins are struggling, going 2-7-2 over their last 11 games. As for their road record, they're 3-5-2. Pittsburgh is 6-0-1 in its past seven matchups vs. the Wild. Captain Sidney Crosby has nine points in his last four appearances against the Wild. Former Wild forward Jason Zucker is on a four-game point streak, with six points during that run.
While the Wild tangled with San Jose on Thursday, Anaheim, on a three-game losing streak, rested.
