Venue & Game Details
Stadium: Grand Casino Arena, St. Paul, MN
Capacity: ~18,000
Puckdrop: 8:00 PM ET
Broadcast: ESPN+ / Sportsnet Pittsburgh / Bally Sports North
Injury Report
Pittsburgh Penguins:
Rickard Rakell (hand) – out 6–8 weeks
No other major injuries reported
Minnesota Wild:
Mats Zuccarello (IR, lower body) – out
Nico Sturm (IR) – out
Michael Milne (waivers, undisclosed) – unavailable
Key Player Matchups
Sidney Crosby (PIT) vs. Kirill Kaprizov (MIN): Crosby has 15 points (8G, 7A) in 11 games, while Kaprizov leads Minnesota with 15 points (6G, 9A).
Evgeni Malkin (PIT) vs. Joel Eriksson Ek (MIN): Malkin has 16 points (3G, 13A), tied for 4th in the NHL, while Eriksson Ek anchors Minnesota’s two-way play.
Tristan Jarry (PIT) vs. Filip Gustavsson (MIN): Jarry owns a career .909 SV% and has been steady this season. Gustavsson has struggled (.889 SV%), allowing 16 goals in his last 3 starts.
Special Teams: Pittsburgh’s power play is clicking at 28.6%, while Minnesota’s is even better at 31.8%, ranking 1st in the NHL.
Team Recent Form
Pittsburgh Penguins:
Last 5: L-W-L-W-W
Last Game: 3-2 SO loss vs. Philadelphia
Strength: Balanced scoring (40 goals, 2nd in NHL), strong PP
Weakness: Occasional defensive lapses late in games
Minnesota Wild:
Last 5: L-L-L-L-W
Last Game: 4-3 OT loss vs. Winnipeg
Strength: Elite PP (14 PPG, 1st in NHL)
Weakness: Defense (43 goals allowed, 3.9 GA/game, 30th NHL)
Series History
All-Time: Penguins lead 25-20-4
Recent: Pittsburgh is 10-2-1 in last 13 vs. Minnesota
At Minnesota: Penguins have won 5 of last 6 in St. Paul since 2018
Betting Trends
Pittsburgh: 5-0-2 in last 7 (longest active point streak in NHL); 4-1-1 on the road.
Minnesota: 1-4-3 in last 8; 0-5-1 when trailing after 1st or 2nd period.
Totals: Over has hit in 6 of 11 games for both teams.
Head-to-Head: Penguins have covered in 4 of last 6 vs. Wild.
Projected Score: Penguins 5, Wild 3
Game Odds
Pittsburgh Penguins 6.5
Minnesota Wild – 163
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, October 29, 2025
