Wild-Columbus gameday preview

6 p.m. at Columbus • Nationwide Arena • FSN, 100.3-FM

Preview: The Wild, which has surpassed last season's point total of 87 only 61 games into this season, improved to 19-6-5 on the road (tied for first in the NHL with 43 points) and 15-1-1 in its past 17 road games with Tuesday's 6-5 victory at Winnipeg. Since Dec. 2, the Wild has points in 33 of 39 games (30-6-3). Since the Blue Jackets ended the Wild's 12-game winning streak Dec. 31, the Wild is 18-5-2 and the Jackets are 13-11-2.

Players to watch: In 36 games since Dec. 7, Wild RW Mikael Granlund leads the NHL with 45 points (16 goals) and ranks 10th with 59 points in 61 games. He leads the Wild with 15 multipoint games. The Jason Zucker-Mikko-Koivu-Granlund trio has combined for 49 goals, 73 assists and 122 points since Nov. 25. Zucker, Granlund and Nino Niederreiter have a combined 61 goals. Recently-acquired forwards Martin Hanzal and Ryan White have a combined two goals and three assists in two games. Blue Jackets RW Cam Atkinson is sixth in the NHL with 29 goals. C Brandon Dubinsky has seven points in the past six games and is winning 64 percent of his faceoffs.

Numbers: The Wild has scored five or more goals 18 times this season and in 15 of the past 34 games.

Injuries: Wild LW Zach Parise (mumps) and RW Jason Pominville (mumps) are out. D Ryan Suter (lower body) is questionable. Blue Jackets C Lukas Sedlak (lower body) and LW Matt Calvert (oblique) are out. C William Karlsson (sick) is questionable.

Michael Russo