A Minnesota Wild team (27-13-4) that has been hit hard by injuries will be the first team to win the game. Edmonton Oilers (27-13-3) will face off on a three-game road trip that begins Wednesday night in Saint Paul.
The Oilers and Wild have similar records over each hockey club’s last 10 games: Edmonton is 7-2-1 and Minnesota is 7-3-0.
However, the Wild are expected to play Wednesday night’s game without superstar forward Kirill Kaprizov and defensemen Brock Faber, Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin due to injuries.
The Oilers’ last game was a 1-0 win over their Pacific Division rivals, the Los Angeles Kings, on Monday. Goalkeeper Stuart Skinner was credited with the shutout for Edmonton.
“It was definitely a playoff game where two teams went toe-to-toe and played really solid,” Skinner said after the game.
Oilers captain Connor McDavid noted that Skinner “was solid all night” against the Kings.
“He plays very well,” McDavid said of the goaltender.
It was unclear Wednesday morning whether Skinner or backup goaltender Calvin Pickard would start against the Wild.
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Former University of Alberta Golden Bears forward Noah Philp could play for Edmonton on Wednesday night. A day earlier, the Oilers announced he had been recalled from the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League.
Minnesota is 11-9-1 at home this season while Edmonton is 12-6-2 on the road.
The Oilers won the last time they faced the Wild, earning a 7-1 victory on December 12.
Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (29) watches the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in St. Paul, Minnesota.
AP Photo/Matt Krohn
Oil tankers ahead Leon Draisaitl scored seven goals and had six assists in the last 10 games. He currently directs the NHL race for goal as he has found the back of the net 31 times this season.
–with files from The Associated Press and La Presse Canadienne
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