Preview: The banged-up Jets are 0-3 on their five-game trip, having been outscored 12-4. The Wild is 1-2-1 in its past four with five goals scored and is 3-5-1 in its past nine with two goals or fewer in eight of those games. The Wild beat the Jets 4-3 in its home opener. Winnipeg is 4-2-1 in its past seven games against the Wild.
Wild-Winnipeg game preview
November 23, 2016 at 5:38AM
Players to watch: Jets rookie Patrik Laine, drafted second overall in June, leads the NHL with 12 goals. C Mark Scheifele is tied for second with 23 points and tied for fourth with 11 goals. Wild LW Jason Zucker has no points in the past nine games, C Eric Staal has none in the past four. LW Zach Parise has two goals in 11 games this season, both coming in a loss at the Islanders.
Numbers: Jets RW Blake Wheeler has a seven-game point streak (five goals, eight assists) against the Wild and has 16 points (eight goals) in 18 games with the Jets against the Wild. In 31 games, fellow Minnesotan Dustin Byfuglien has seven goals and 19 assists and is plus-17 against the Wild.
Injuries: Wild D Marco Scandella (ankle) is expected to return after missing 10 games since Oct. 27. C Zac Dalpe (knee) is out. Jets C Bryan Little (lower body), C Shawn Matthias (lower body), C Mathieu Perreault (upper body), RW Joel Armia (upper body), D Tyler Myers (lower body) and LW Kyle Connor (upper body) are out; RW Drew Stafford (upper body) has been cleared to return.
Michael Russo
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The Wild head toward a big game against Dallas with one of the NHL’s best records but also with health concerns after Joel Eriksson Ek and Mats Zuccarello exited injured.
