Game Details
Puck drop is scheduled for 9:00 PM ET (8:00 PM CT)
Venue: Grand Casino Arena, Saint Paul, Minnesota (home game for Minnesota Wild; part of the 20th Annual Hockey Day Minnesota event)
Broadcast: ESPN+ (national); local feeds may include Bally Sports Florida and Bally Sports North
This interconference matchup features the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers traveling to face a surging Minnesota Wild team in a special venue for Hockey Day Minnesota. The Panthers have battled injuries but remain competitive in the Atlantic Division, while the Wild’s strong home form and goaltending make them favorites in this clash. Expect a physical game with potential for high scoring given both teams’ offensive capabilities, though Minnesota’s defensive structure could keep it tight.
Florida holds a mid-pack position in the Atlantic, relying on veteran leadership amid injuries. Minnesota leads the Central Division with elite depth and special teams play.
Recent Team Forms
Both teams have shown resilience in January 2026, with Minnesota on a hot streak and Florida grinding through adversity. Here’s a summary of their last five games (most recent first, based on available reports):
Florida Panthers (Form: W-L-W-L-W):
Jan 22 at Winnipeg Jets: 2-1 SO Win (Clutch shootout performance; overcame defensive lapses)
Jan 19 vs. San Jose Sharks: 1-4 Loss (Struggled offensively; injury impacts evident)
Jan 17 at Washington Capitals: 5-2 Win (Strong road effort; multi-point games from forwards).
Jan 15 (loss per trends; details limited).
Jan 13 (win).
The Panthers average 2.8 goals per game recently, with a 3-2 record. They’ve snapped a brief skid but continue to deal with key absences, leaning on goaltending for wins.
Minnesota Wild (Form: W-W-L-W-W):
Jan 23 vs. Detroit Red Wings: 4-3 OT Win (Kaprizov OT heroics; rallied from deficit)
Jan 20 vs. Montreal Canadiens: 4-3 Win (Boldy contributions despite injury concerns).
Jan 18 (loss; sparse details).
Jan 17 at New Jersey Devils: Win.
Jan 15 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets: Win.
The Wild average 3.6 goals per game in this stretch, with a 4-1 record. They’ve won 7 of their last 10, bolstered by Kaprizov’s scoring and Hellebuyck’s saves, making them a tough out at home
Series History
The Panthers and Wild have a relatively even all-time series, with 35 total meetings. Minnesota holds a slight edge at 21-13-1. Regular Season Head-to-Head: Wild lead 21-13-1, with an average combined score of 5.4 goals per game. Recent History: Wild are 4-5-1 in the last 10 encounters. Panthers have won 3 of the last 5 overall. Most Recent Meeting: December 18, 2024 – Panthers 6-1 win (dominant performance by Florida). Trends: Games trend under the total (60% under 5.5 goals in last 10); Wild are 7-3 at home vs. Panthers historically. This series often features low-scoring, defensive battles, but recent matchups have seen more offense from Florida.
Injury Report
Florida Panthers:
Aleksander Barkov Jr. (C): Out with knee injury (has not played this season; long-term)
Brad Marchand (LW): IR with undisclosed injury (expected out until at least Jan 24; leads team in points)
Seth Jones (D): LTIR with upper-body injury (sustained in Winter Classic; out since Jan 2)
Dmitry Kulikov (D): Out 5 months post-surgery (upper-body)
Matthew Tkachuk (LW): Nearing return from sports hernia/adductor surgery (could play; update pending)
Minnesota Wild:
Matthew Boldy (LW): On injury report (details unspecified; monitoring three players including him)
Jonas Brodin (D): Out indefinitely post-surgery (lower-body)
Zach Bogosian (D): IR with undisclosed/lower-body injury (expected out until at least Jan 24)
Mats Zuccarello (RW): Out 7-8 weeks (lower-body; since November)
Nico Sturm (C): Out (upper-body; training camp injury lingering)
Marcus Johansson (LW): GTD (per trends; Eriksson Ek also mentioned as GTD in some reports)
Florida’s forward group is hit hard, while Minnesota’s defense is thinned, potentially leading to exploitable matchups.
Key Player Matchups
Injuries force lineup adjustments, but star power remains. Here are the critical battles:
Sam Reinhart (Florida, C) vs. Kirill Kaprizov (Minnesota, RW): Reinhart’s clutch scoring (recent SO contributions) faces Kaprizov’s dynamic offense (OT winner vs. Detroit). This wing matchup could spark transitions
Matthew Tkachuk (Florida, LW) vs. Joel Eriksson Ek (Minnesota, C): If Tkachuk returns, his physicality tests Eriksson Ek’s two-way game (GTD but key faceoff specialist).
Sergei Bobrovsky (Florida, G) vs. Filip Gustavsson (Minnesota, G): Bobrovsky anchors Florida’s net amid injuries, while Gustavsson (or Hellebuyck) provides Minnesota’s edge in goal.
Aaron Ekblad (Florida, D) vs. Marco Rossi (Minnesota, C): Ekblad’s shutdown play vs. Rossi’s emerging scoring; crucial for blue-line control.
Minnesota’s depth may prevail, but Florida’s veterans could exploit defensive gaps.
Betting Trends
Florida Panthers: 3-2 ATS in last 5; over hits in 3 of last 5 road games. Strong as underdogs (5-1 last 6), but 2-3 SU in last 5 overall. Minnesota Wild: 4-1 SU in last 5; over in 3 of last 5 home games. 3-2 ATS recently, with a 56.7% win rate as favorites. Head-to-Head Trends: Over in 3 of last 5 (average 6.5 goals); Wild 4-1 at home vs. Panthers recently. Panthers +1.5 hits 70% in series. League trend: January 2026 Central-Atlantic games trend over 55% due to offensive mismatches.
Game Odds
Florida Panthers 5.5
Minnesota Wild – 130
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, January 23, 2026
