Wild-Nashville game preview: Predators are first for Wild in 19-day homestand
Nine consecutive games at Xcel Energy Center could help team in position to make a move in playoff standings.
March 13, 2022 at 12:38AM
Wild update: This is the start of a franchise-longest nine game homestand for the Wild. The team won its last game at Xcel Energy Center, a 5-2 victory over the Rangers on Tuesday that snapped a season-worst three-game slide in St. Paul. Overall, the Wild is 17-6-1 as the home team. On Saturday, the Wild sent D Calen Addison back to Iowa in the American Hockey League. RW Marcus Foligno was fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement, for kneeing the Blue Jackets' Jakub Voracek on Friday in the Wild's 3-2 shootout loss.
Predators update: The Predators were in action Saturday, suffering a 7-4 loss to the Blues that ended their three-game win streak. That result also kept No. 4 Nashville two points back of the third-place Wild in the Central Division. RW Matt Duchene has eight goals in his past five games, reaching the 30-goal plateau for the third time in his career. His linemate and C Ryan Johansen is coming off a three-point performance vs. St. Louis, his second multipoint effort over his past three games. In their only other matchup vs. the Wild this season, the Predators won 5-2 on Oct. 24.
Widely known that Minnesota sports fans are among the most suffering in the nation, this holiday season has the chance to become special, given the recent success of the Vikings, Wolves, Lynx and Wild.
