Wild-Penguins preview: Wild hopes to extend season-best win streak at home
Former Wild forward Jason Zucker may play his first game at Xcel Energy Center since his Feb. 2020 trade.
March 30, 2022 at 9:48PM
Wild update: The Wild assigned F Connor Dewar to Iowa in the American Hockey League after Dewar sat out the last five games. G Cam Talbot is scheduled to start on Thursday, in what would be his first game since he was named the NHL's First Star of the Week on Monday. Talbot has won eight in a row, the longest win streak of his NHL career. LW Kirill Kaprizov is at 82 points, one shy of tying Marian Gaborik's single-season scoring record with the Wild. Kaprizov's 13 goals in March are tied for the most in a month in Wild history.
Penguins update: The Penguins are third in the Metropolitan Division after dropping three of their last five games, including a Tuesday tilt vs. the Rangers. They've been on a roll, though, against the Wild, going 5-0-1 over the last six meetings. C Evgeni Malkin is three assists away from becoming the 57th player in NHL history to register 700. Over his last five games, Malkin has six goals and three assists. Former Wild F Jason Zucker hasn't played since Jan. 17, undergoing core muscle surgery, but he's considered a game-time decision; if he plays Thursday, it'll be Zucker's first game at Xcel Energy Center since a February 2020 trade to Pittsburgh.
The star forward came back from a brief injury absence, and two goals from Frederick Gaudreau helped Minnesota to another road victory.
