Monday, December 23, 2024
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NHL Preview: Minnesota Wild (24-14-4) at Washington Capitals (24-16-6)

MINNESOTA WILD NOTES:

SERIES NOTES
All-Time Wild Record: 12-13-2 (8-5-1 at Xcel Energy
Center, 4-8-1 at Washington)

2021-22: Minnesota went 2-0-0 against Washington…The Wild earned a 3-2 shootout win at Xcel Energy Center (1/8) and a 5-1 win at Capital One Arena (4/3)…C Joel Eriksson Ek (2-1=3), LW Marcus Foligno (2-1=3) and RW Jordan Greenway (0-3=3) led the Wild with three points each…G Kaapo Kahkonen made 27 saves in the first meeting…G Cam Talbot made 25 saves in the second contest…C Evgeny Kuznetsov (1-1=2) and LW Alex Ovechkin (0-2=2) led the Capitals with two points each…G Zach Fucale made 20 saves in the first meeting…G Vitek Vanecek made 14 saves in the second contest.

WILD LEADERS: D Alex Goligoski leads Minnesota with 11 points (1-10=11) in 24 games against Washington…RW Mats Zuccarello has 11 points (3-8=11) in 26 contests…Foligno owns nine points (3-6=9) in 22 games.

WILD GOALIES: G Marc-Andre Fleury is 26-14-2 with a 2.65 GAA, a .911 SV% and four shutouts in 44 games (43 starts) against Washington…G Filip Gustavsson made 12 saves in relief in his lone appearance against the Capitals (10/25/21).

CAPITALS LEADERS: Ovechkin leads Washington with 31 points (17-14=31) in 19 games against Minnesota…RW T.J. Oshie has 23 points (11-12=23) in 31 contests…C Nicklas Backstrom owns 20 points (2-18=20) in 18 matches… RW Marcus Johansson has 13 points (4-9=13) in 14 games.

CAPITALS GOALIES: G Darcy Kuemper is 3-5-1 with a 2.89 GAA, a .902 SV% and one shutout in 10 career starts against Minnesota…G Charlie Lindgren is 0-1-0 with a 2.06 GAA and a .941 SV% in one career start (11/9/17).

FAST FACTS: Minnesota’s series sweep in 2021-22 marked the second time in franchise history the Wild has won two games against Washington in the same season (2002-03)…Seven of Minnesota’s 13 games played at Washington have been decided by one goal (3-3-1)…Ovechkin netted three PPG on March 28, 2017, the most ever by a Wild opponent.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Jan. 7, 2023 – Jan. 16, 2023
1/16/23 Signed F Matt Boldy to a seven-year contract
1/12/23 Placed F Joseph Cramarossa on unconditional waivers
1/9/23 Reassigned G Zane McIntyre to Iowa

ON THE POWER PLAY
• The Wild have converted 30.3 percent (20 of 66) of power-play opportunities at home this season, third-best in the NHL.

• Minnesota recorded a power-play goal in a season-high six consecutive games from Nov. 23 – Dec. 4, going eight-for-19 (42.1 pct.) during that span. The streak tied for the fifth-longest in franchise history.

PENALTY KILLERS
• Since Nov. 8, Minnesota is ninth in the NHL with a 81.3 penalty kill percentage (87 for 107).

• Minnesota is seventh in the NHL with a 83.1 penalty-kill percentage (59 of 71) on the road this season

WASHINGTON CAPITALS NOTES:

LAST GAME
Washington 4, New York Islanders 3 (OT)
January 16, 2023 * UBS Arena * Elmont, NY
Shots: WSH: 35; NYI: 30
Power Plays: WSH: 0/1; NYI: 0/1
Three Stars: 1. Orlov (WSH), 2. Wilson (WSH), 3. Martin (NYI)

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Loaned forward Joe Snively to AHL Hershey, 1/8
Loaned forward Aliaksei Protas to AHL Hershey, 1/7

INJURIES/ILLNESSES
Carl Hagelin: 10/12/22-1/16/23 (46 games)
Connor Brown: 10/20/22-1/16/23 (42 games)
John Carlson: 10/31/22-11/9/22, 12/27/22-1/16/23 (16 games)
Dmitry Orlov: 11/7/22-12/9/22 (16 games)
Washington Capitals: Media Notes
Erik Gustafsson: 12/11/22 (1 game)
Lars Eller: 12/13/22 (1 game)
Sonny Milano: 12/15/22 (1 game)
Darcy Kuemper: 12/5/22-12/17/22 (7 games)
Nic Dowd: 12/17/22 (1 game)
Hunter Shepard: 12/17/22 (1 game)
Alex Alexeyev: 12/11/22-12/19/22 (5 games)
Beck Malenstyn: 11/3/22-12/27/22 (26 games)
Martin Fehervary: 12/5/22-12/29/22 (12 games)
T.J. Oshie: 10/31/22-11/19/22, 12/19/22-12/31/22 (17 games)
Nicklas Backstrom: 10/12/22-1/6/23 (42 games)
Tom Wilson: 10/12/22-1/6/23 (42 games)
Man Games Lost: 276

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Jan. 19, 9 p.m. ET at Arizona (NBCSW, 106.7 The Fan/Caps Radio 24/7)
Jan. 21, 10 p.m. ET at Vegas (NBCSW, 106.7 The Fan/Caps Radio 24/7)
Jan. 24, 9 p.m. ET at Colorado (NBCSW, 106.7 The Fan/Caps Radio 24/7)
Jan. 26, 7 p.m. ET vs. Pittsburgh (NBCSW, 106.7 The Fan/Caps Radio 24/7)
Jan. 29, 5 p.m. ET at Toronto (NBCSW, NHLN, 106.7 The Fan/Caps Radio 24/7)

TONIGHT’S GAME
The Capitals host the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday at Capital One Arena for the first of two meetings between the teams this season. The Capitals and Wild will complete their season series on March 19 in St. Paul. Washington is 15-10-0-2 all-time versus Minnesota and 9-2-1 in their last 12 games against the Wild dating back to the 2014-15 season. In 2021-22, Washington dropped the season series with Minnesota 0-1-1. Alex Ovechkin (2a) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (1g, 1a) led the Capitals with two points in two games against the Wild last season.

HOME vs. MINNESOTA WILD
Record Goals For Goals Against Streak
9-4-0-0 32 24 2 MIN wins (3/22/19-4/3/22)

CAPITALS vs. MINNESOTA WILD (Career Totals)
Games Goals Assists Points
Oshie (31) Ovechkin (17) Backstrom (18) Ovechkin (31)
Irwin (21) Oshie (11) Ovechkin (14) Oshie (23)
Ovechkin (19) Five Players (4) Oshie (12) Backstrom (20)

Back-to-Back

  • Tuesday’s game against Minnesota marks the second half of Washington’s sixth back-to-back set of the season.
  • The Capitals are 1-3-1in the second of back-to-back games this season and 1-2-0 following a win.
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