Minnesota Wild vs. Winnipeg Jets Pick & Prediction DECEMBER 21st 2024
Preview and Prediction
The Minnesota Wild will have a difficult task ahead of them as they travel to Winnipeg on Saturday evening to face off against the Central Division-leading Jets.
While the Jets will be well-rested and waiting for the Wild after two days off, Minnesota will be coming off a game on Friday and arriving late in Winnipeg from Minnesota after suffering a 2-1 defeat against the Utah Hockey Club.
With only three points separating the Jets and Wild in the standings and Minnesota having a game in hand, the stakes will be high - especially with the Wild having lost three consecutive games and four of their last five.
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"You have to prepare for the next one," stated Minnesota coach John Hynes. "That's the lifestyle we lead. That's the life of a competitor."
The Wild are currently in the midst of a tough stretch against Winnipeg, having been unable to secure a victory in their last seven meetings. However, Minnesota forward Mats Zuccarello doesn't seem too worried.
"If we were playing terribly and not putting in effort, I would be standing here saying, 'We're not good, we need to improve,' but we've been playing hard," Zuccarello said. "But at the end of the day, if we're not getting wins, it's not good enough. We need to find ways to win instead of losing."
The Jets were not completely satisfied with their performance after splitting a two-game road trip through California this past week. They managed to secure a 4-3 victory in San Jose on Tuesday, but suffered a 3-2 loss in Anaheim on Wednesday.
Although San Jose and Anaheim are not currently in playoff contention in the Western Conference, both teams put up a strong fight and gave the NHL's top-ranked team a tough challenge.
"When you have a hot start like we did, a historic start, we're not catching anyone off guard," stated Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo when asked about teams gunning for them after their impressive 15-1-0 start to the season. "We know we're getting everyone's best games, so there is a challenge in that, and there is some pride in that. ... We want to face everyone's best because it brings out the best in us. It's a different role when you're the one being hunted instead of the one hunting."
The Wild are certainly aiming to surpass Winnipeg and claim the top spot in the Central Division, but does that mean it's do or die for the Jets? Head coach Scott Arniel trusts that his players do not view it that way.
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"I hope our level of emotion doesn't increase for Minnesota and then decrease for the next opponent," Arniel stated after Friday morning's practice. "With Minnesota, we've had some physical battles with them over the past few years. I don't put any more importance on this game compared to Dallas, Colorado, or Utah. ... This is a divisional game and they're right behind us in the standings, so we want to widen that gap."
Jets defenseman Logan Stanley will be out due to an injury he sustained while blocking a shot against Anaheim.
For Minnesota, Jesper Wallstedt will be starting in goal on Saturday, replacing the injured Filip Gustavsson. Joel Eriksson Ek has returned to skating but is still listed as day-to-day.
Minnesota Wild vs. Winnipeg Jets Recap FEB 10TH 2015
Jets 2, Wild 1 (OT): All-Star Dustin Byfuglien scored at the four-minute mark of overtime as host Winnipeg extended its point streak to four games (2-0-2).
Defenseman Tobias Enstrom also tallied for the Jets, who improved to 2-1-1 in the five-game season series between the Central Division rivals. Rookie Michael Hutchinson turned aside 29 shots, including all 21 he faced over the first two periods.
Jason Pominville netted the lone goal for the Wild, who saw their six-game winning streak come to an end. Devan Dubnyk made 24 of his 32 saves in the first 40 minutes as Minnesota dropped to 2-0-2 versus Winnipeg but extended its point streak to eight contests (6-0-2).
With Dubnyk and Hutchinson locked in a duel, the Jets finally broke through less than eight minutes into the third period. Enstrom received a pass from Mathieu Perreault and unleashed a shot from the left point that Minnesota's Nino Niederreiter inadvertently tipped past Dubnyk at 7:53.
The Wild answered 2:29 later as Winnipeg's Jim Slater coughed up the puck while being checked by Zach Parise and Pominville fired it past Hutchinson low on the glove side from the slot. Byfuglien ended things late in the extra session with his eighth career overtime goal, chasing down a loose puck and rushing down the right wing on a 2-on-1 before firing it into the top left corner of the net from low in the right faceoff circle.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Pominville has collected two goals and five assists in four meetings with the Jets this season. ... Dubnyk is 8-1-1 since being acquired from Arizona. ... Minnesota learned earlier in the day that it will be without LW Jason Zucker for approximately three months as he is slated to undergo surgery for a broken clavicle on Thursday and C Ryan Carter for a minimum of one month due to an upper-body injury. Both players were injured in Monday's triumph over Vancouver.