Wild-Lightning game preview: Broadcast information, injury report, key players
Since losing 4-2 to the Wild last Thursday, Tampa Bay has won three in a row over Washington, Nashville and Colorado.
TV; radio: FanDuel Sports Network North; 1003. FM
Wild update: The Wild assigned rookie Liam Ohgren to Iowa in the American Hockey League. Ohgren made the team out of training camp but didn’t debut until C Joel Eriksson Ek got hurt in the second game. Through seven games, Ohgren went pointless while putting eight shots on net and averaging 9 minutes, 33 seconds of ice time. His move to the minors does open up a spot in the lineup for C Ryan Hartman if Hartman is ready to return. Hartman has missed the past five games because of an upper-body injury but practiced on Thursday.
Lightning update: Since losing 4-2 to the Wild last Thursday, Tampa Bay has won three in a row. The Lightning shut out Washington, outlasted Nashville in overtime and dumped Colorado on Wednesday to kick off their Central Division road trip. Overall, they’re 3-2 as the visitor. RW Nikita Kucherov has 18 points in 18 career games vs. the Wild. He already has nine goals this season, one of which came last week against the Wild.
Injuries: Hartman (upper body) is a possibility. Lightning D Erik Cernak left Wednesday’s action after taking a hit to the head, and Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper didn’t have an update on Cernak’s status after the game.
Minnesota lost its fourth game in a row, this one to the league leader and a Central Division rival.