The Minnesota Wild will look to finish a two-game winless streak on Tuesday in an early Central Division matchup versus the St. Louis Blues. It’s the second recreation of seven on the highway, and so they might need some excellent news as Joel Eriksson Ek is touring with the group after lacking Sunday’s recreation versus the Winnipeg Jets. He suffered a damaged nostril after taking an elbow to the face from the Seattle Kraken’s Adam Larsson on Saturday evening.
Spurgeon’s Well being in Query
Whereas the information on Eriksson Ek is sweet, there may be actual concern concerning the well being of captain Jared Spurgeon after he missed Sunday’s recreation and isn’t touring with the group to St. Louis. The Wild are saying he’s day-to-day with a lower-body harm. Spurgeon missed 66 video games final season with hip and again surgical procedure, and the priority is that he might need reaggravated a kind of accidents. The group has been open about Eriksson Ek, so the lack of know-how about Spurgeon has many fearful.
Wild Query Marks For Tuesday’s Contest
The Wild had three goalies on the roster to start the season. It was assumed that tonight’s starter can be Jesper Wallstedt, however the rash of accidents to start out the season has modified tonight’s plan, as Wallstedt has been despatched right down to the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League so the group has sufficient wholesome our bodies. Defenseman Daemon Hunt was the most recent recall (on Monday), and the Wild produce other defensemen banged up, together with Jacob Middleton.
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Marcus Johansson was a query mark towards the Jets however did play. Eriksson Ek can be a game-time determination. If he’s prepared, Liam Ohgren will come out. There’s a small likelihood the Wild might put Spurgeon on injured reserve retroactive to Sunday, which means he may very well be activated by Monday, Oct. 21. But when they put him on long-term injured reserve, the group can be left scrambling.
Blues vs. Wild: Battle Of Prime Two Strains
Just like the Wild, the Blues are a top-heavy offensive group. Minnesota’s prime two traces have scored 77% of their targets – the one different targets are from Ryan Hartman and Middelton. The Blues’ prime gamers have scored six targets, three by a defenseman and two from their bottom-six forwards.
The projected lineup for the Blues:
Brandon Saad- Robert Thomas- Jake Neighbours
Zach Bolduc-Pavel Buchnevich-Jordan Kyrou
Mathieu Joseph- Brayden Schenn- Dylan Holloway
Alexey Toropchenko- Radek Faksa- Nathan Walker
Head coach Drew Bannister has cut up up his prime three gamers (Thomas, Buchnevich and Kyrou) to start out the marketing campaign, and it’s labored out effectively. The group is 2-1-0 forward of Tuesday’s house opener. The group that wins the top-six battle will doubtless come away with two factors.
Penalty Kill Costing The Wild But Once more
Sadly, the Wild’s penalty kill (PK) continues to be the group’s greatest weak spot. In 2023-24, they completed thirtieth on the PK at 74.1%. This season, they’ve given up a power-play purpose in all three video games and presently sit twenty eighth at 57.1%. This is a matter that must be fastened quickly, or it may very well be the rationale the Wild miss the playoffs but once more. With all due respect, Marat Khusnutdinov shouldn’t be killing penalties – not this early in his NHL profession.
Of notice: the group had two professional scouts in attendance for the Utah Hockey Membership versus New Jersey Devils recreation on Monday.
The Wild want one other gusty efficiency tonight and should discover a solution to begin banking factors once more.
