Wild vs. Ducks game preview: broadcast info and analysis

vs. Anaheim Ducks, Xcel Energy Center, 8 p.m. Saturday

TV; radio: BSN; 100.3 FM

Stats and analytics: Tap here.

Pregame reading: The Predators’ third-period comeback marked a dent in the Wild’s playoff hopes, but all is not yet lost.

For the fans: The 18th annual Hockey Day Minnesota is at Warroad Athletic Complex, which will host three outdoor hockey games before the Wild play the Ducks in St. Paul.

Opening bell: This is the Wild’s last game before a 10-day break for their bye week and the NHL All-Star Game, which is Feb. 3 in Toronto. A win would count as a productive finish to the month. The Wild (21-22-5) have lost just twice in their last six games. They have yet to face Anaheim; the Ducks (16-30-2) are third-to-last in the Western Conference.

Watch him: Wild C Joel Eriksson Ek can tie the longest point streak of his NHL career with a goal or assist vs. Anaheim. During his six-game surge, Eriksson Ek has six goals and five assists, including two game-winners. Over his past 11 games, the Wild’s leading goal scorer (21) has 14 points.

Injuries: Wild C Connor Dewar (lower body), G Marc-Andre Fleury (upper body), RW Vinni Lettieri (lower body), RW Adam Raska (lower body), D Jared Spurgeon (hip and back) and RW Mats Zuccarello (illness). Ducks LW Max Jones (upper body), LW Alex Killorn (knee), D Ilya Lyubushkin (upper body), D Pavel Mintyukov (shoulder) and C Trevor Zegras (ankle).

Forecast: This looks like a mismatch. The Wild have a 13-point lead over the Ducks in the standings, and Anaheim has won just three times in its past 10 contests. But the Ducks can be pesky. Take their last game on Thursday: they led the Stars in the second period and again during the third before Dallas completed its rally in overtime. Still, if the Wild can avoid the untimely mistakes that led to their loss to the Predators and capitalize on their chances, this is a great opportunity for them to go into the break with momentum.

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