Free NHL Picks Today: Minnesota Wild vs Columbus Blue Jackets 2/26/23

Free NHL Picks Today: Minnesota Wild vs Columbus Blue Jackets 2/26/23
Sun 26th February 2023

The Minnesota Wild (32-21-6) play host to the Columbus Blue Jackets (19-35-5) at Xcel Energy Center on Sunday. Columbus is playing on back-to-back days after earning a high-scoring 6-5 win over the Oilers yesterday.

The Blue Jackets committed six penalties in the game, conceding one power play goal. Jack Roslovic and Kirill Marchenko both scored twice for the Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo only saved 42 of 47 shots (.893%) in the win.

Minnesota fell 2-1 (OT) to the Maple Leafs on Friday. Brandon Duhaime was the only player to score for the Wild. Filip Gustavsson had 22 saves in the loss.

HEAD TO HEAD

The Wild won the first meeting between the teams this season, a 2-0 victory on February 23. Kirill Kaprizov and Duhaime were on the scoresheet for Minnesota. Marc-Andre Fleury saved 30 shots to earn the shutout win.

FACING OFF

Columbus is averaging 2.56 goals per game for the season, 30th in the NHL, and they are taking on a Wild team that is allowing 2.73 goals a game (7th). Meanwhile, Minnesota has found the net 2.81 times a game on average, 26th in the league, and the Blue Jackets are allowing opponents to score 3.69 goals per game (30th).

The Blue Jackets’ 16.67% power play percentage is the fourth-lowest in the league, while the Wild rank eighth with a conversion rate of 23.50%. When it comes to penalty killing, Minnesota has the league’s eighth-ranked PK% at 82.11%, while Columbus is 19th at 77.35%.

TOP PERFORMERS:

With 54 points this season, Johnny Gaudreau is the top skater for the Blue Jackets. He has 15 goals and 39 assists in 57 games. In the net, Elvis Merzlikins (6-15-1) is Columbus’ top goaltender. He has a 4.21 GAA and a .873% save percentage.

Kaprizov leads the Wild in scoring with 68 points. He has 34 goals (9th) and 34 assists. Gustavsson (15-8-2) has the best goals against average for Minnesota at 2.11, second-best in the league.

He has a save percentage of .928%, also second-best. Fleury (17-13-3) has played the most games in net for the Wild this season. He has a 2.89 GAA and a .904% save percentage.

HOME AND AWAY

Columbus is 6-17-3 on the road this season. Minnesota has won three straight at Xcel Energy Center this season. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets are 3-8 without a day off and 1-3 playing with a rest disadvantage. The Wild are 8-1 with a rest advantage.

SportsTips’ NHL Pick:

Minnesota Wild -1.5 (-120)

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