Wild-Utah game preview: Defenseman Brock Faber will play after taking puck to the neck on Wednesday
Marc-Andre Fleury will start in goal for the Wild, who have lost two in a row heading into tonight’s game. Utah has three consecutive victories.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
December 20, 2024 at 6:14PM
7 p.m. today Xcel Energy Center
TV; radio: FanDuel Sports Network North; 100.3 FM
Wild update: Defenseman Brock Faber is still feeling the fallout from getting hit in the neck by a puck during the Wild’s 6-1 loss to Florida on Wednesday night, but he’ll be back in action tonight.
The defenseman rushed off the ice after being struck by an Eetu Luostarinen shot on the right side of his neck during the last minute of the third period.
After getting looked at by doctors and trainers, Faber went to the hospital to make sure the swelling wouldn’t impede his breathing. Initially, he was struggling to breathe. Faber said he’s on medication, and his voice — which still sounds raspy — has improved; it’s like he has strep throat (minus the chills).
“It was definitely scary, but doctors took care of me,” Faber said. “Very, very thankful that it got me where it did because it could have been a lot worse.”
Marc-Andre Fleury will start in goal tonight. Filip Gustavsson, who’s missed the past two games because of a lower-body injury, has been skating but hasn’t taken part in a full-bore practice. The Wild moved RW Yakov Trenin (upper body) to injured reserve.
Utah update: Utah hasn’t lost since falling to the Wild 5-4 in a shootout on Dec. 10. The team has won three straight, most recently upending Vancouver 3-2 in overtime Wednesday. Overall, Utah is on a season-long six-game point streak and has only one regulation loss in its past 10 games. RW Dylan Guenther has scored four times during a three-game goal streak. He also has nine points during a six-game point streak, which includes two assists vs. the Wild.
Injuries: Wild C Joel Eriksson Ek (lower body), LW Jakub Lauko (lower body), D Jake Middleton (upper body), Gustavsson (lower body) and Trenin (upper body) are out. Utah D Robert Bortuzzo (lower body), D Sean Durzi (shoulder), G Connor Ingram (upper body), D Maveric Lamoureux (upper body) and D John Marino (back) are out.
Minnesota came out fighting to avenge the slew foot that injured Jared Spurgeon, but Nashville comfortably won the game itself.
