Wild vs. Coyotes game preview: broadcast info and analysis
Sarah McLellan's breakdown: Minnesota is chasing Arizona in the Central Division standings.
January 13, 2024 at 4:49AM
vs. Arizona Coyotes, Xcel Energy Center, 7 p.m. Saturday
TV; radio: BSN; 100.3 FM
Stats and analytics: Tap here.
For the fans: The Coyotes have quite a few familiar faces. Former Wild players Nick Bjugstad, Matt Dumba and Jason Zucker play for Arizona, as does former Gopher Logan Cooley and Hopkins' Travis Boyd.
Sarah McLellan's preview:
Opening bell: Arizona has been one of the first-half surprises in the NHL. The Coyotes (20-18-2) had a five-game win streak against the last five teams to claim the Stanley Cup before closing out December with six victories in seven games. They're ahead of the Wild (17-19-5) in the Central Division and race for a Western Conference wild-card berth, making this an important test for both sides in a matchup worth keeping an eye on the rest of the season. The Wild and Arizona will square off three more times.
Watch him: This is Dumba's first game back at Xcel Energy Center since he left the Wild in the offseason, signing a one-year, $3.9 million contract with the Coyotes. Dumba totaled 79 goals and 157 assists for 236 points in 10 seasons with the Wild after the franchise drafted him seventh overall in 2012. With Arizona, Dumba has two goals and three assists through 39 games.
Injuries: Wild D Jonas Brodin (upper body), G Filip Gustavsson (lower body), LW Kirill Kaprizov (upper body), RW Vinni Lettieri (lower body) and D Jared Spurgeon (lower body). Coyotes C Barrett Hayton (lower body), D Vladislav Kolyachonok (lower body) and C Travis Boyd (upper body).
Forecast: The Coyotes will have the edge in rest. Unlike the Wild, they didn't play Friday; Arizona's last game was a 6-2 loss to Calgary on Thursday. But the Wild should have plenty of urgency. This is a chance to get closer to a team they're chasing in the standings while preventing that team from moving further away. Still, the Coyotes have been a handful this season for many clubs, so the Wild will have to be sharp. A patient, simple style might be their best strategy in the second half of a back-to-back.
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For the Wild, four points behind the league-leading Jets, this will be their most anticipated matchup against a division rival since they lost 2-1 to the Stars on Nov. 16.
