Wild-Vancouver game preview
December 15, 2015 at 5:15AM
7 p.m. vs. Vancouver • Xcel Energy Center • FSN Plus, 100.3-FM
Preview: The Wild, which has shut out three opponents in the past five games, is riding a seven-game point streak (4-0-3) since Mike Yeo's Nov. 30 practice rant designed to "rattle the cage." It's the Wild's longest such run since Jan. 20-Feb. 14, 2014 (8-0-2). The Wild lost 3-2 at home to the Canucks on Nov. 25 as part of a 1-4-2 skid. The Canucks, playing their second game on a six-game road trip, are 2-4-2 since and coming off a 4-0 loss in Chicago.
Players to watch: Wild LW Zach Parise is coming off his first multi-point game since Oct. 15. He has two goals and four assists in the past six games. C Mikael Granlund has 13 points in the past 15 games. Linemate Jason Pominville has one point in six of the past seven games. C Henrik Sedin ranks first all-time against the Wild with 51 assists and is second with 63 points. Brother Daniel Sedin ranks second with 40 assists and third with 61 points.
Numbers: The Wild leads the NHL with six shutouts. … The Wild is the NHL's sixth-best faceoff team (51.4 percent), led by Mikko Koivu's .554.
Injuries: Wild G Devan Dubnyk (groin) will back up. Canucks C Brandon Sutter (sports hernia), D Dan Hamhuis (facial fractures) and D Luca Sbisa (hand) are out.
Michael Russo
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The star forward came back from a brief injury absence, and two goals from Frederick Gaudreau helped Minnesota to another road victory.
