If their first matchup is any indication, the second meeting of the season between the Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators could come down to a fortunate bounce here or a well-placed deflection there.
Minnesota earned a 3-2 overtime win the first time it faced Nashville, on Nov. 30. The Wild will try to find a way to escape with another home-ice victory when the teams meet on Tuesday evening in Saint Paul, Minn.
A month ago, the Wild scored first before the Predators responded with two goals. Minnesota pulled level in the second period, and captain Jared Spurgeon delivered the winner one minute into overtime.
Minnesota coach John Hynes wants to see his team focus on fundamentals in its final game of the calendar year. Hynes was less than happy after the Wild fell 3-1 at home against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday night in their most recent game.
“When we’re playing a detailed, smart game, you give yourself the best chance to win,” Hynes said. “We want to pride ourselves on being smart. We want that as a competitive advantage to our team.”
Nobody on the Wild seemed irked by Hynes’ comments. If anything, the players agreed.
“We have to get on the forecheck,” forward Mats Zuccarello said. “We also have to make plays. We’ve got to make the plays that need to be made.
“Sometimes, it’s chip-ins. Sometimes, it’s weak-side ‘D’ joining. Sometimes, it’s carrying the puck in, creating like that. Sometimes, we don’t make those plays when we have to.”
Nashville also is eager to show improvement. The Predators will play on short rest against the Wild after they lost 3-0 on the road against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday night.
It was the second loss in a row for Nashville, which is 4-7-1 in 12 games since the last time it faced Minnesota.
The Predators hope the addition of forward Vinnie Hinostroza can help. He made his NHL season debut Monday and did not record a point in 11:27 of ice time.
The 30-year-old veteran has appeared in 375 career NHL games, and Nashville is his sixth team. He led the American Hockey League with 33 points and 22 points through 26 games when the Predators promoted him over the weekend.
“It feels great,” Hinostroza said. “The guys here are great. (I experienced) that in training camp, so it’s easier to walk in the locker room when you know all the guys are approachable and nice to be around.”
The Wild will turn to either Filip Gustavsson or Marc-Andre Fleury in net. Gustavsson is 16-6-3 with a 2.25 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage after stopping 34 of 36 shots vs. the Senators. Fleury is 6-3-1 with a 2.81 GAA and an .898 save percentage.
Nashville could give the start to backup Justus Annunen one night after No. 1 goalie Juuse Saros yielded three goals on 28 shots against Winnipeg.
Annunen is 8-5-0 with a 2.83 GAA and an .894 save percentage this season, 2-1-0 with a 1.80 GAA and a .941 save percentage since he was acquired by Nashville from Colorado in a Nov. 30 trade. The 24-year-old from Finland has faced Minnesota once in his career, earning a win for the Avalanche last season by stopping 44 of 46 shots.
–Field Level Media
