Wild-Jets Game 2 preview
April 13, 2018 at 1:30AM
Wild can't afford 0-2 repeat
Preview: The Wild is looking to avoid falling into a 0-2 hole for a third straight postseason. The team has won only once in its past six road games. Winnipeg hasn't lost at home since Feb. 27. The Jets have won 10 straight in Winnipeg.
Players to watch: Captain Blake Wheeler has 27 points in 28 games against the Wild since he joined the Jets. Defenseman Ben Chiarot dished out 10 hits in Game 1. Fellow blue-liner Dustin Byfuglien logged a team-high 22 minutes, 36 seconds.
Numbers: Center Matt Cullen (41 years, 160 days) became the oldest player in Wild history to score a goal when he converted in Game 1. Defenseman Matt Dumba played 30 minutes, 3 seconds, a career high for the postseason. The Jets won 54 percent of faceoffs in Game 1. Byfuglien's five shots were a game high.
Injuries: Wild D Ryan Suter (right ankle fracture) and F Luke Kunin (torn ACL) are out. Jets D Dmitry Kulikov (upper body) and F Matt Hendricks (lower body) are out; D Toby Enstrom (lower body) and F Mathieu Perreault (upper body) are game-time decisions.
Sarah McLellan
about the writer
The Wild are off to one of the best starts in franchise history, and Kirill Kaprizov is tied for the NHL scoring lead.
