The struggling Minnesota Wild (27-20-4) play host to the New Jersey Devils (34-13-4), who will be out to add to their winning streak, at Xcel Energy Center on Saturday. New Jersey is kicking off a four-game road trip coming off a 3-1 win over the Kraken on Thursday, their third win in a row.
The Devils took advantage of their power play opportunities, scoring twice on four shots while holding Seattle without a power play goal. Dougie Hamilton led the Devils with two goals. MacKenzie Blackwood saved an impressive 33 of 34 shots (.970%) in the win.
Minnesota dropped their third straight game, falling 5-1 to the Golden Knights on Thursday. Kirill Kaprizov was the only player to score for the Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury started in the loss and saved only 18 of 23 shots (.782%).
HEAD TO HEAD
The Wild won both games between the teams last season, including a 5-2 victory in their final meeting in December, their third straight win against New Jersey. Kaprizov (2G 1A) and Ryan Hartman (1G 2A) each had three points to lead Minnesota.
Hamilton led New Jersey with two points (0G 2A). Kaapo Kahkonen got the win, saving 29 of 31 shots (.935%).
FACING OFF
New Jersey is averaging 3.49 goals per game for the season, fifth in the NHL, and they are taking on a Wild team that is allowing 2.90 goals a game (12th).
Meanwhile, Minnesota has found the net 2.96 times a game on average, 22nd in the league, and the Devils are allowing opponents to score 2.65 goals per game (6th). New Jersey averages more shots (34.2) than most teams in the league, ranking fourth. Minnesota’s average of 31.4 attempts ranks 18th.
The Wild’s 24.22% power play percentage ranks eighth in the league, while the Devils are 17th with a conversion rate of 20.92%. When it comes to defending power plays, New Jersey has the league’s 10th-ranked PK% at 81.41%, while Minnesota is 14th at 80.00%.
TOP PERFORMERS:
With 67 points this season, ninth-most in the NHL, Jack Hughes is the top skater for the Devils. He is among the league leaders with 35 goals (3rd) and has added 32 assists. In the net, Vitek Vanecek (22-5-2) is New Jersey’s top goaltender.
He has a 2.34 GAA and a .916% save percentage. Kaprizov leads the Wild in scoring with 62 points. He has 29 goals and 33 assists in 51 games. Filip Gustavsson (11-8-1) has the best goals against average for Minnesota at 2.31, third-best in the league.
He has a save percentage of .922%, fifth-best. Fleury (16-11-3) has played the most games in net for the Wild this season. He has a 2.88 GAA and a .905% save percentage.
HOME AND AWAY
New Jersey is 19-3-2 on the road this season. Minnesota is 15-9-1 at Xcel Energy Center this season.
SportsTips’ NHL Pick:
Minnesota Wild (-120)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
