Photo Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images
So what happens when a team who’s won 4 in a row takes on a team that just got blitzed 6-2 by the Edmonton Oilers? We’ll find out tonight as the Minnesota Wild (12-5-3) take on the Nashville Predators (10-6-4) who are going to be looking for some answers after they were dumped by the Oilers last night.
Minnesota, who haven’t played since Saturday’s 3-2 come-from-behind shootout win against St. Louis, is the number 1 team in the league right now and will be looking to continue their hot streak against Nashville as they’ve won 9 out of their past 11 games.
Last Year’s Series: 3-1-0 (2-0-0 Home, 1-1-0 Away)
This Season’s Video Recaps:
Game 1 – November 26th, 2010:
Game 2 – December 31st, 2010:
Game 3 – January 11th, 2011:
Game 4 – March 10th, 2011:
Looking at the Wild: After starting the season 3-3-3, Minnesota has shot out like a cannon winning 9 of their previous 11 and are first overall in the entire league. Getting great goaltending from both Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding, the Wild are working hard to buck the majority opinion that they wouldn’t be a good team this yea.
Being led in points by Mikko Koivu and Dany Heatley, the Wild are in the perfect place to continue their hot stretch and stay atop the NHL.
Looking at the Predators: Nashville had a rough time last night dropping a 6-2 decision against the Edmonton Oilers, this coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night. The Predators seem to be playing like a team with two different faces on some nights, handling Washington and Toronto by a combined 7-2 and losing to Columbus and Edmonton by a combined 10-5.
Regardless of what’s going on in the internal chemistry of Nashville, the Predators need to fix the problem quickly before things really start falling downhill.
For the Wild to win: Follow the way of Edmonton and Columbus. The Oilers and Jackets both found the winning formula to beat Nashville, now Minnesota will have to steal it.
If the Wild can cause the Predators to play undisciplined hockey and contain Nashville’s offensive and defensive threats, Minnesota will be in good shape.
For the Predators to win: Channel your second/third period effort. Nashville outshot the Oilers 18-7 in the second and ended up with 2 goals in the third before losing 6-2. The Predators need to channel that and their anger from after that game into a complete positive effort against the Wild.
Unless they act on their words from after last night, Nashville may find themselves losing 3 straight instead of breaking their current streak.
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If you like what I have listed out here or if you have any questions/comments/concerns, feel free to let me know at kristopher.martel@thepredatorial.com
Stay frosty, friends
