The Minnesota Wild host the Vancouver Canucks in a Central-Pacific Division clash at Xcel Energy Center, where the Wild’s stingy defense meets Vancouver’s resurgent attack amid a tight wild-card race. Minnesota (15-8-5) enters with a three-game point streak (2-0-1), leaning on Filip Gustavsson’s hot glove (.922 SV%) to mask forward inconsistencies, while the Canucks (10-15-3) chase their first three-in-four win, fueled by Quinn Hughes’ blue-line wizardry but plagued by road woes (4-9-1). This rematch of October’s 4-3 OT thriller—won by Vancouver—features Kirill Kaprizov’s speed testing J.T. Miller’s grit, with playoff ghosts from 2022 looming. Expect a forecheck frenzy, as Minnesota’s league-best PK (86.4%) stares down Vancouver’s middling PP (18.9%).
Venue and Game Details
Location: Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, MN (199 W Kellogg Blvd, Saint Paul, MN 55102). The Wild’s fortress seats 17,954 for hockey and delivers a frozen, fervent vibe—bolstering their home record (9-3-2, 2.33 GA/GP).
Puckdrop: 8:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. CT).
Broadcast: ESPN+ (national stream), Bally Sports North (Minnesota), Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver), SN360 (Canada). Doors open at 6:00 p.m. CT.
Team Records and Standings
Minnesota leads the Central’s third slot with a +14 goal differential, elite defensively (2.41 GA/GP, 3rd) but 18th in scoring (2.96 GF/GP). Vancouver scrapes the Pacific’s eighth, with a -8 differential, propped by special teams (top-10 PK at 83.2%) but bottom-15 in shots against (32.1/GP).
| Team | Record (W-L-OTL) | Points | GF/GP | GA/GP | Home | Away | Streak |
| Minnesota Wild | 15-8-5 | 35 | 2.96 | 2.41 | 9-3-2 | 6-5-3 | W1 (OT) |
| Vancouver Canucks | 10-15-3 | 23 | 2.74 | 3.07 | 6-6-2 | 4-9-1 | L1 |
The Wild rank 1st in goals allowed (65), while Vancouver leads in giveaways forced (14.8/GP) but sits 27th in save percentage (.889).
Recent Team Forms
Minnesota’s point streak includes Friday’s 3-2 OT home win over St. Louis, where Matt Boldy’s GWG capped a third-period rally. They’re 7-2-1 in their last 10, with Gustavsson’s .922 SV% anchoring a trap system—though they’ve scored 2 or fewer in five of eight homes.
Vancouver’s Thursday 4-3 loss at Utah ended a two-win mini-spurt, outshooting foes but folding late (3 GA in third). The Canucks are 3-6-1 in their prior 10, resilient on roads (4-9-1, but 3-1-0 last four) yet penalty-prone (11.2 PIM/GP).
| Wild Last 5 Games | Result | Score | Key Notes |
| Dec 5 vs STL | W (OT) | 3-2 | Boldy GWG; Gustavsson 28 saves in rally. |
| Dec 2 vs ARI | W | 4-1 | Kaprizov 2G; power play 2/3, shut down. |
| Nov 29 @ DAL | OTL | 2-3 | Late push falls short; strong Corsi (53%). |
| Nov 27 vs PIT | W | 5-3 | Zuccarello 3A; high-event home win. |
| Nov 24 @ WPG | L | 1-4 | Defensive woes; 0/4 PP. |
| Canucks Last 5 Games | Result | Score | Key Notes |
| Dec 4 @ UTA | L | 3-4 | Miller 2A; Demko .885 SV%, third-period collapse. |
| Dec 2 @ CGY | W | 3-2 | Hughes GWG; low-scoring divisional grinder. |
| Nov 29 vs SJS | W | 5-1 | Boeser 2G; offensive bounce-back. |
| Nov 27 @ SEA | L | 2-3 (SO) | Shootout loss; PK 4/5 but no decider. |
| Nov 24 vs DET | L | 1-4 | Demko pulled; stifled attack (23 SOG). |
Injury Report
Vancouver’s forward corps is battered, impacting depth, while Minnesota’s blue line holds firm with minor tweaks.
| Team | Player | Position | Status | Est. Return | Notes |
| MIN | Joel Eriksson Ek | C | IR (Out) | Dec 14 | Lower body; 8 pts in 18GP, key two-way center. |
| MIN | Marcus Foligno | LW | Out | Dec 10 | Upper body; 7 pts in 20GP, physical captain. |
| MIN | Jesper Wallstedt | G | Day-to-Day | Dec 6? | Illness; backup to Gustavsson (10-5-3, .922 SV%). |
| VAN | Elias Pettersson | C | IR (Out) | Dec 20 | Wrist; 11G-14A in 22GP, top-line driver. |
| VAN | Brock Boeser | RW | Out | Dec 12 | Concussion; 9G-10A in 21GP, sniper threat. |
| VAN | Carson Soucy | D | Day-to-Day | Dec 6? | Lower body; practiced, 4 pts in 19GP. |
| VAN | Arturs Silovs | G | Available | Dec 6 | Backup; Demko starts (6-10-2, .889 SV%). |
Filip Gustavsson for Minnesota; Thatcher Demko for Vancouver.
Key Player Matchups
Minnesota’s structure vs. Vancouver’s skill edges will clash, with the Wild’s hits (21.8/GP, 4th) pressuring Canucks’ transitions.
Kirill Kaprizov (MIN, 15G-16A) vs. Quinn Hughes (VAN): Kaprizov’s rush magic (1.45 Pts/GP) tests Hughes’ puck movement (team-high 25 pts). Kaprizov 8G in streak; Hughes must quarterback without Pettersson.
J.T. Miller (VAN, 10G-13A) vs. Brock Faber (MIN): Miller’s faceoff grit (53.4%) meets Faber’s shutdown (3.8 defensive shares). Miller 6 pts in 7; Faber limits top centers to 1.7 xGA/60.
Matt Boldy (MIN, 12G-11A) vs. Filip Hronek (VAN): Boldy’s netfront (recent GWG) exploits Hronek’s gaps. Boldy 7G in 8; Hronek logs 23:45 TOI but allows 2.4 xGA/60.
Elias Lindholm (VAN, 8G-12A) vs. Jonas Brodin (MIN): Lindholm’s two-way reliability battles Brodin’s poise (+9 rating). Lindholm 5 pts last 5; Brodin anchors PK (MIN 86.4%).
Filip Gustavsson (MIN) vs. Canucks’ Top Line: Gustavsson’s positioning (.922 SV%) vs. Miller-Lindholm-Garland (35 combined pts). Gustavsson 3 shutouts; VAN 11.2 HD chances/GP.
Watch Mats Zuccarello (MIN, playmaker) in power-play duels.
Series History
These clubs have met 58 times (regular season), with Minnesota holding a 30-25-3 edge (54.5% win rate). The Wild have won 4 of the last 6, including a 3-2 home victory on November 10 (Kaprizov GWG). Vancouver is 2-8 in their last 10 at Xcel, often trapped (Wild 2.3 GA/GP in H2H). Playoff nod: Minnesota’s 2003 run over VAN.
| Last 5 Meetings | Date | Result (MIN Home unless noted) | Score | Key Stat |
| Nov 10, 2025 | MIN Home | W (MIN) | 3-2 | Gustavsson 31 saves; low-event duel. |
| Oct 28, 2025 | @ VAN | L (VAN) | 3-4 (OT) | Miller GWG; 58 SOG combined. |
| Mar 5, 2025 | MIN Home | W (MIN) | 4-1 | Boldy 2G; defensive clinic. |
| Jan 23, 2025 | @ VAN | W (MIN) | 5-3 | Kaprizov hat trick; offensive rout. |
| Nov 15, 2024 | MIN Home | W (MIN) | 2-1 | PK 4/4; trap success. |
Minnesota wins 70% when leading after two (VAN 40% when trailing).
Betting Trends
Moneyline Trends: Wild 9-3 as home favorites; Canucks 4-9 as road dogs. 60% bets on MIN ML.
Puck Line: MIN -1.5 (+140) covers in 54% of home wins; VAN +1.5 (-165) hits 72% as underdogs.
Total Trends: Under 5.5 in 8 of MIN’s last 10; Over in 6 of VAN’s last 9 roads. League avg: 6.0 goals/game.
Game Odds
Minnesota Wild – 148
Vancouver Canucks 5.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, December 5, 2025
