The Minnesota Wild will go for wins on back-to-back days when they host the Nashville Predators on Saturday in St. Paul, Minn.
Minnesota is coming off a 3-2 win on home ice against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday. Captain Jared Spurgeon scored twice and Marco Rossi scored once for Minnesota, which won its second game in a row.
Now, the Wild have a chance to increase their winning streak to three games.
“Straight lines and simple hockey, that works for us,” Spurgeon said.
Nashville will try to complicate the Wild’s three-game homestand.
The Predators also will play on short rest after losing 3-2 in overtime at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday. Captain Roman Josi scored both goals for Nashville, which earned one point but has lost two games in a row in overtime.
Nashville coach Andrew Brunette said he was looking for a spark on offense.
“Nobody’s really feeling it,” Brunette said. “If you look up and down our roster, we’re having a hard time scoring.
“So, nobody’s really feeling great about their game. And usually when you don’t feel good about your game, these kind of things happen. So, we have to try to find a way to feel a little better about our game.”
Spurgeon has helped the Wild to feel good about their performance in the first few months of the season. He underwent hip and back surgeries last season and missed six games in October as he continued to recover, but he has provided leadership and production since returning to the ice.
“Just having him around, having his leadership presence, it’s a night-and-day different feel as a group of guys,” Wild defenseman Brock Faber said. “Obviously, he’s the leader of that. His off-ice characteristics and on-ice (contributions) are just helping us a whole lot.”
Nashville could turn to Scott Wedgewood in net if it decides against playing Juuse Saros on back-to-back days. Saros made 25 saves on 28 shots Friday.
Wedgewood is 1-2-1 with a 3.69 goals-against average and an .878 save percentage in five games (four starts) this season. He needs one more victory to reach 50 wins in his career.
This would be Wedgewood’s sixth career game against Minnesota. In his first five matchups, he is 1-1-2 with a 2.94 GAA and a .900 save percentage.
The Wild likely will counter with Filip Gustavsson in net. He watched from the bench on Saturday as Marc-Andre Fleury started and made 20 saves on 22 shots.
Gustavsson is 10-4-3 with a 2.06 GAA and a .929 save percentage in 17 starts this season. He boasts a 62-44-17 career record with a 2.63 GAA and a .914 save percentage.
In five career games against Nashville, Gustavsson is 2-2-1 with a 3.39 GAA and an .882 save percentage.
Josi said he and his Predators teammates would try to break through against the Wild. Nashville has been outscored 11-6 over its past three games.
“It’s hard to win in this league when you score two goals a game, and we’re working on it,” Josi said. “We’re trying to find it. I think we’ve got a ton of talent in here that can put the puck in the net. …
“The only thing we can do is press down and keep working on it and keep trying. Keep going to the net, keep shooting the puck.”
–Field Level Media
